Cyclonic storm ‘Tauktae’ weakens after landfall in India, leaves trail of destruction

Cyclonic storm 'Tauktae' travelled along India's western coast, narrowly missing the city of Mumbai, killing 12 people.

Heavy downpours in some areas, including Mumbai, will continue for the next 12 hours, while sea waves of as high as 4 metres above normal tides are likely to inundate some coastal places, said the weather office. 

The navy has sent three warships to try to rescue hundreds of people stranded off the coast in two barges and over 200,000 people evacuated.

The cyclone comes amid a Covid-19 wave that has overwhelmed Indian hospitals.

Rain and wind speed of over 100 km/h ravaged coastal areas in the western state of Gujarat, uprooting trees and electricity poles. In Saurashtra district, electricity has been cut as a precautionary measure.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that the cyclone had further weakened, and would continue to weaken gradually in the next three hours.

However, authorities have directed people to remain cautious as some areas in Gujarat continue to witness strong winds.

In early hours of Monday, Mumbai witnessed heavy rain with gusty winds. However, Bandra-Worli sea link has been closed till further updates.

The airport operations were suspended for three hours from 11 am to 2 pm.

The first major storm of the season comes as India battles a second wave of the coronavirus.

Packing winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour Tauktae has been building up over the Arabian Sea and moved northwards and is currently located northwest of Goa.

India is already battling a second wave of coronavirus that has pushed its healthcare system to breaking point, leading to severe shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and medicines.

Tauktae is the strongest cyclone to strike the region since 1998 and both Gujarat and neighbouring Maharashtra have been on high alert.