Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday will hold an important meeting to review preparations against the upcoming Cyclone Tauktae. Key officers of the government and the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will participate in the meeting.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday that a low-pressure area is developing rapidly over the Lakshadweep Isles and the Arabian Sea and a powerful cyclonic storm is expected to manifest by Sunday and is likely to hit the coasts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala in the next four days.
Mumbai and Thane have already been put under a Yellow Alert by the IMD, signifying isolated heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, while Orange and Red Alerts have been issued for several districts in Gujarat and Kerala.
The Cyclone Tauktae, currently developing over Lakshadweep Isles and the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a full-fledged cyclonic storm on Sunday, causing heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds in southern and western coastal parts of the country.
In Kerala, heavy to very heavy rains are likely on Saturday and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Sunday and Monday, according to the IMD.
The cyclone would trigger heavy rains in Mumbai, southern Konkan region’s Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra, parts of Goa and Gujarat over the next three days till it reaches the Gujarat coast on Tuesday.
As per the IMD forecast, Gujarat will start getting rains from May 17 onwards with heavy to very heavy rains at few locations in Kutchh and Saurashtra regions and isolated heavy to very heavy spells in Kutchh on May 19.
(With IANS inputs)