Cyclone Nisarga heading towards Mumbai

Tropical storm Nisarga, which intensified into a 'severe cyclonic storm' this morning (Wednesday), is headed towards the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts of India and is expected to make landfall near coronavirus-hit Mumbai this afternoon.

The storm is expected to make landfall near Alibaug, south of Mumbai.

This will be the second cyclone to strike India in two weeks and the first to hit the financial capital in over 100 years. With the India Meteorological Department declaring a red alert in Mumbai for the first cyclone that has formed near the city on the Arabian Sea in a long time, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, in a televised address, advised people to remain indoors.

No one is allowed to come out in public places like beaches, parks and promenades along the Mumbai coastline, the police said in a late night order. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have been put on high alert as some parts of these two states and the Union Territories fall on the path of the cyclone that developed over a low pressure area over the Arabian Sea.

All activity that was set to resume from Wednesday in the State would remain suspended for two more days, he said.

The Chief Minister, who spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and held a video-conference with Home Minister Amit Shah, said besides the State administration, the National Disaster Response Force, Army, Navy and Air Force were on standby. Along with IMD’s red alert, a storm surge warning for Mumbai was also issued.

“Storm surge of 1-2 metres above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Mumbai during the time of landfall,” the warning read.

The Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) on Tuesday shifted nearly 250 Covid-19 patients from the temporary facility at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) ground to the COVID centre at the NSCI Centre, a permanent structure in Worli as a precautionary measure ahead of the landfall of severe cyclone Nisarga on Wednesday.

The facility had been built by the MMRDA to cater to non-critical Covid-19 patients and was handed over to the BMC last month. The 1,008 bed facility received its first set of patients on May 25.

The deep depression in the Arabian Sea intensified into cyclonic storm Nisarga on Tuesday and lay centred over east central Arabian Sea, 380 km south-southwest of Mumbai. It is very likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday morning, resulting in high wind speed, rough seas, storm surge, waterlogging, and damage to power and communication lines, houses, roads and trees.

The cyclone will move northwards, recurve north-northeastwards and cross north Maharashtra between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibaug, on Wednesday afternoon.

It is projected to have windspeeds of about 110 kmph as it makes landfall. Thereafter the system will weaken to a less severe ‘deep depression’ according to the IMD. This is the first cyclone to form near Mumbai in the Arabian Sea since 1882.

The IMD has issued a red alert (extremely heavy rainfall) and a storm surge warning for Mumbai. “Storm surge of 1-2 metres above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of Mumbai during the time of landfall,” IMD said.

Since the cyclone will pass over Maharashtra and weaken, the IMD has not issued a warning for Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts for Thursday. It has issued a green alert (light to moderate rain) for Mumbai and an orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for Palghar.

Shubhangi Bhute, senior scientist, IMD Mumbai, said, “The cyclone will make landfall near Alibaug on Wednesday afternoon owing to which Mumbai will experience high wind speed. The system is moving fast, it will cross north Maharashtra and move towards Madhya Pradesh. Besides, the system is also weakening. That is why we have issued no alert for Thursday.”

A few parts of Mumbai witnessed light rain on Tuesday evening and daytime temperatures dropped to 32.4 degrees Celsius from 34 degrees Celsius on Monday. By 8.30 p.m. on Tuesday, Mumbai had received 11 mm rainfall. The IMD said conditions will be favourable for the onset of monsoon in Mumbai only when the cyclone moves away from the region.

(Source: The Hindu/NDTV)