KARACHI: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said Cyclone Tauktae moved northward and now lies at a distance of 800 kilometers south to southeast of Karachi.
In its advisory on Monday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said Cyclone Tauktae is likely to move further north to northwest and cross Indian Gujarat by the night of May 17, the morning of May 18.
“The Cyclonic Storm moved Northward at a speed of 15 kmph during last six hours and now lay centered at 2000 PST of 17 May 2021 near latitude 16.8N and longitude 72.4E, at a distance of about 800 km south-southeast of Karachi,” read the advisory.
According to PMD, the maximum sustained winds around the system center are 150-170 kmph, gusting to 190 kmph. It said that based on the current environmental and meteorological conditions, dust and thunderstorm along with isolated incidents of moderate to heavy rainfall with gusty winds of 40-60 kmph are likely to occur in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas, Umerkot and Sanghar districts from May 17 to 19.
Karachi, Hyderabad, and Shaheed Benazirabad districts will likely experience hot to very hot weather with gusty winds during the next two days. Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough and fishermen are advised not to venture in the sea till after May 19.
On the other hand, Gale-force winds, heavy rainfall and high tidal waves swept the coastal belt of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa as Cyclone Tauktae hurtled northwards towards Gujarat on Monday, leaving 12 people dead, damaging hundreds of houses, uprooting electricity poles and trees and forcing evacuation in low-lying areas.
India Meteorological Department said that the cyclonic storm “Tauktae” has further intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm.
#CycloneAlert The cyclonic storm "Tauktae" has further intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) at 000 UTC and lay centered at 18.5N/71.5E, with a ragged eye. pic.twitter.com/pGgSnHzzIT
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 17, 2021
Would cross Gujarat’s coast between Porbandar and Mahuva in Bhavnagar district by early Tuesday morning and tidal waves are likely to inundate several coastal districts during the landfall. “The very severe cyclonic storm Tauktae over the east-central Arabian Sea moved nearly northwards with a speed of about 11 kmph during the past six hours,” it said.
Gujarat: Fishing boats in Navsari float on the seashore in the wake of #CycloneTauktae
Visuals from Ojal Machhiwad village pic.twitter.com/f35g2c7Rh3
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2021
KS Hosalikar, a Scientist at India Meteorological Department said Mumbai is seeing winds on Monday morning. “Overcast Sky, now mod rains and can pick up soon. No water logging so far,” he said in a tweet.
#TauktaeCyclone
Today morning at 0700 hrs
Mumbai much much windy now, Overcast Sky, now mod rains and can pickup soon. No water logging so far…Good
170 km from Mumbai, moving NNW
Mumbai take care and watch all updates from IMD.@RMC_Mumbai pic.twitter.com/fasnyoBqLm— K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) May 17, 2021
