In a tweet, the meteorological department said, "The Cyclone continues to show a weakening trend. The eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening."
A cyclone on India's west coast has killed at least 19 people and damaged infrastructure and agriculture, while heavy rains continued to lash some regions even as weather officials said on Tuesday that the storm's intensity had weakened.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan on Tuesday said that the 'worst is over' and Cyclone Tauktae will "become a depression" by today evening.
Pradhan said, "The cyclone has weakened into a cyclonic storm level and probably in another couple of hours it will become a cyclonic system which is a much lower category. By the time it reaches Gujarat coast in the late evening, it would have become a depression...The worst is over."
"Another good news is that the state emergency operation centre (SEOC) of Gujarat has informed us and confirmed that there have been no deaths at all," he further said adding that there is considerable damage to property and infrastructure."
Initially, there were reports in the morning of hundreds of villages losing electricity but within an hour the electricity has been restored. These are good signs of the disaster response capabilities of India and the states. It will take some more time to complete the restoration," Pradhan said.
"It was very important to clear the roads and vital arteries of communication during these troubled times of COVID-19. We have sent troops and personnel who have been vaccinated with both doses," he further said adding that they were equipped with special suits and accompanied by paramedics, doctors and attendants while sharing his hope that the forces will come out unscathed by the pandemic.
"Extremely severe" Cyclone Tauktae unleashed devastating winds that reached speeds up to 190 kilometres per hour as the storm made landfall in Gujarat, damaging structures, electricity lines, and uprooting trees.
In a tweet, the meteorological department said, "The Cyclone continues to show weakening trend. Eye is disorganising, wall cloud is weakening."
-- ANI & REUTERS
1. Cyclone Tauktae: Mumbai
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Due to the heavy winds and rainfall, several parts of Mumbai became water-logged. Police were on duty and helped people get to higher ground in such water-logged areas.
(Photo: Reuters)
2. Cyclone Tauktae: Surat
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Following the landfall process of Cyclone Tauktae, in Surat, locals helped NDRF teams clear fallen trees from roads.
(Photo: IANS)
3. Cyclone Tauktae: Tamil Nadu
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Rough sea and high tidal waves due to Cyclone Tauktae at Pallithura area in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Many houses were damaged in coastal areas across the state as seawater seeped in following high waves. According to the state government, at least nine districts have been severely affected by sea incursion.
(Photo: ANI)
4. Cyclone Tauktae: IAF rescue
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Indian Air Force had deployed two C-130J and an An-32 aircraft for transportation of 167 personnel and 16.5 tonnes of supply from Kolkata to Ahmedabad. Over 54 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in Gujarat to manage the situation.
(Photo: ANI)
5. Cyclone Tauktae: NDRF
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A member of NDRF uses a megaphone to appeal to residents to move to safer place ahead of Cyclone Tauktae in Veraval.
(Photo: Reuters)
6. Cyclone Tauktae: Gateway of India, Mumbai
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Strong sea waves near the Gateway of India as Cyclone Tauktae approaches the coast of Mumbai.
(Photo: ANI)
