Ahmedabad: Cyclone Tauktae has intensified further, the weather office has said, as the ‘very severe’ storm hurtled towards Gujarat at a speed of 185 kmph, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
It will make landfall between Porbandar and Mahuva on Tuesday, unleashing rapid wind.
As per the latest Satellite observation at 5:30 am today, the Vortex Tauktae has further intensified and now lay centered at 18.5N/71.6E with a ragged eye. Convective bands are tightly wrapped, said the IMD.
Very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae is very likely to intensify further during next 24 hours. It is very likely to cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around 18 May early morning, IMD added.
In Maharashtra, coastal areas are on high alert. Covid patients undergoing treatment at dedicated facilities in coastal areas were relocated to safer facilities.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s office tweeted that the government would ensure uninterrupted power and oxygen in hospitals. Police and other officials have been deployed to deal with the cyclone. ‘Patients will not face gaps in the treatment,’ it said.
In Gujarat, around 1.5 lakh people were being shifted from low-lying coastal areas to safe locations. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani has asked officials to ensure that electricity supply to Covid-19 hospitals and other medical facilities are not disrupted, news agency Reuters reported.