Extremely severe Cyclone Tauktae to touch Gujarat by Monday night: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that Cyclone Tauktae will take an extreme shape in the east central Arabian Sea by Monday night, with wind speed reaching 180-190 kmph gusting to 210 kmph likely to prevail during the next six hours.

The agency has warned of tidal waves of upto 3 meters hitting the coasts of Amreli, Gir Somnath, Diu and Bhavnagar of Gujarat.

The IMD said that gale wind speed reaching 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph is prevailing over adjoining northeast Arabian Sea. It would gradually increase becoming 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph from forenoon for subsequent 12 hours and decrease thereafter.

Right now, gale wind speed reaching 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is prevailing along and off south Gujarat & Daman and Diu coasts. This is likely to increase into winds speed reaching 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph along & off Gujarat coast (Junagarh, Gir-Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar) and 120 -140 kmph gusting to 165 kmph over Bharuch, Anand, south Ahmedabad, Botad, Porbandar, 90 -100 kmph gusting to 120 kmph over Devbhoomi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Kheda districts of Gujarat from tonight till Tuesday early morning.

Sea conditions will be phenomenal over east-central and adjoining northeast Arabian Sea till Tuesday morning and improve gradually thereafter.

The conditions of the sea will be high to very high along & off Maharashtra coast during next 12 hours and improve thereafter.

It is very likely to be high along and off the coastal regions of south Gujarat, Daman, Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli during next 6 hours and thereafter phenomenal till 18th morning. The situation will improve gradually thereafter.

The IMD has warned that tidal waves above astronomical strength are likely to inundate coastal areas as around three-meter-high waves will be hitting the coasts of Amreli, Gir Somnath, Diu and Bhavnagar districts when Tauktae makes its landfall.

Somewhat lesser high tidal waves of two to three meters are likely to hit coasts of Bharuch and Anand and waves of 1-2 m over Surat, Navsari, Valsad, and 0.5 - 1m over the remaining coastal districts of Gujarat during the time of landfall.

Red alerts have been issued for the coastal districts of Junagadh, Gir-Somnath, Amreli and Bhavnagar in Saurashtra and Valsad and Navsari in South Gujarat as well as the union territories of Diu and Daman.

The IMD has warned the ports of Gujarat and issued instructions to hoist IX and X signals (indicating great danger). IX signal for Alang, Bhavnagar, Dahej, Magdalla, Bharuch and Daman ports and X signal for Diu, Veraval, Jafrabad, Pipavav and Victor ports.

--IANS

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