According to the India Meteorological Department, a very severe cyclonic storm, Tauktae (pronounced Tau’Te), is expected to intensify further and cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahuva on May 18 early morning between 2.30am and 5.30am with a speed of 155 to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph, causing extensive damage in the affected areas (IMD).
Porbandar, Amreli Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Botad, Bhavnagar, and Ahmedabad’s coastal areas are expected to be hit hard.
There will most likely be total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kutcha houses; some damage to pucca houses; potential threat from flying objects; bending or uprooting of power and communication poles; major damage to roads; flooding of escape routes; minor disruption of railways; overhead power lines and signalling systems; widespread damage to salt pans and standing crops; blowing down of power lines and signalling systems; blowing down of power lines and signalling systems; blowing down of power lines and signalling systems.
Devbhoomi Dwarka, Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Morbi, Valsad, Surat, Vadodara, Bharuch, Navsari, and Anand districts are also expected to suffer some damage.
IMD has recommended that people be evacuated from vulnerable areas, that fishing operations be completely halted, that rail and road traffic be judiciously regulated, that people in affected areas stay indoors, and that movement in motor boats and small ships be avoided.
“Tauktae will intensify further while on its track and cross the Gujarat coast with a speed of 155 to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. We are not expecting it to become a super cyclone but it is a big and intense system,” said Sunitha Devi, in charge of cyclones at IMD.
During the next 12 hours, Tauktae will continue to intensify drawing energy from the ocean. It is very likely to move north northwest wards and reach Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the coast very early in the morning on Tuesday. The system is being monitored by Doppler weather RADAR Goa.
Tauktae intensified very rapidly from a depression to a cyclone on Friday. There was rapid intensification of the cyclone on Saturday also. “Tauktae intensified by 65 kmph during the past 24 hours fuelled by heat and energy from the ocean,” said Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.
Over the eastcentral Arabian Sea, gale winds of 130–140 kmph with gusts to 155 kmph are blowing. From Sunday midnight, it is expected to increase to 145-155 kmph with gusts to 170 kmph over the east central Arabian Sea. From Sunday, squally winds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph are expected over the northeast Arabian Sea and along and off the coasts of south Gujarat, Daman, and Diu, gradually increasing to gale winds of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph over the northeast Arabian Sea and along and off Gujarat coast (Porbandar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Amreli, Bhavnagar) and 100-120 k. Gale winds speed reaching 70-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph likely to prevail along and off Dadra, Nagar Haveli, Daman, Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Kheda districts from Monday midnight till Tuesday morning.
