Cyclone Tauktae: Bandra-Worli sea link closed for traffic on weekend, says Mumbai Mayor

As the Cyclone Tauktae whirls towards the Gujarat coast Maharashtra is preparing to grapple its impact on the coastal Konkan and some interiors which are likely to be affected with heavy rains and gusty winds officials said on SaturdayThe entire coastal belt comprising Palghar Thane Raigad Ratnagiri Sindhudurg besides Mumbai is in a state of high alert with all rescue and relief agencies in full preparedness to tackle any eventualitiesAlso Read Mumbai braces for Cyclone TauktaeMumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar said that efforts are being made to shift people residing near the coastline within Mumbai limitsldquoAll Jumbo Covid19 centres have been told to remain on standby and if needed patients to be shifted to other places We are watching the situation closelyrdquo Pednekar saidldquoAround 100 lifeguards have been deployed at various beaches for emergency rescue etc Fire brigade teams are also on standby BandraWorli sea link will be closed for traffic on Saturday and Sundayrdquo Pednekar addedAs CycloneTauktae forming in the ArabianSea is expected to hit the west coast on May 15 and 16 the civic body has made arrangements to prevent flooding and deployed flood rescue squads at beaches Visuals from MarineDrive Suresh KarkeraMumbai MumbaiNews pictwittercomNgcQKqe2x6mdash Mid Day mid_day May 15 2021The National Disaster Response Force NDRF has deployed 3 teams in Mumbai 15 in Pune and one in Goa with Cyclone Tauktae now said to be in the Arabian Sea off north Karnatakasouth Maharashtra coasts It is likely to pass around 250 kms in the Arabian Sea moving at an average speed of 7 kmhourAlso Read Cyclone Tauktae Heavy rain lash Kerala coastal areas badly affectedChief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has reviewed the situation and asked the people and the government machinery to be vigilant rekindling memories of the devastating Cyclone Nisarga that pounded RaigadRatnagiri in June 2020 at the height of the pandemic lockdownIn a preparatory meeting regarding Cyclone Tauktae on Friday night Thackeray has instructed all Divisional Commissioners and district Collectors to be vigilant and wellequipped in coastal areas especially in Palghar Raigad Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg informed an official of the CMOMinister for Higher amp Technical Education Uday Samant who hails from Konkan said that the authorities are in complete readiness to handle any eventuality over the next few daysWe have also made special arrangements for hospitals and Covid19 care centres arranged backup generators for oxygen plants fleets of ambulances deployed in case patients need to be evacuated and other requirements Samant saidHead of SID at the Climate Research and Services Pune K S Hosalikar said that the latest satellite images indiciate the system is getting matured and cloud bands are now on coastal north Karnataka Goa and south Maharashtra alsoSince past three days a low pressure area has been rapidly developing over the Lakshadweep Isles and the Arabian Sea with a powerful Cyclone Tauktae expected to hit the states on the westcoast of India the IMD saidThe IMD has already put Mumbai and Thane under a Yellow Alert signifying isolated heavy rains accompanied by strong winds while an Orange Alert and Red Alert has been issued for several districts of Gujarat and KeralaThe Cyclone Tauktae will intensify into a fullfledged cyclonic storm on Sunday causing heavy rains accompanied by gusty winds in southern and western coastal parts of the country and it is expected to lash Gujarat coast by morning of May 18The storm has already resulted in rainfall in large areas in Lakshadweep Isles Kerala parts of Sindhudurg Ratnagiri and Palghar with predictions of heavy to very heavy spells in some places and extremely heavy rains in isolated places till SundayIn Kerala more heavy to very heavy rains are forecast for Saturday and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Sunday and Monday according to the IMDThe cyclone would trigger heavy rains in Mumbai coastal Southern Konkan regions Raigad Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra parts of Goa and Gujarat over the next three days when it reaches the Gujarat coast on TuesdayRatnagiri Sindhudurg are likely to witness very heavy rains on Sunday and Monday while Mumbai Thane Raigad will be clobbered with very heavy downpour on Monday besides thunderstorms likely to hit Satara Kolhapur parts of the Western Ghats and Pune over Sunday and MondayCoastal Maharashtra especially south Konkan could be lashed by squalls reaching speeds of upto 60 kmph on Saturday and increasing up to 80 kmph on MaharashtraGoa coasts on Sunday May 16 besides very rough seasFishermen already out in the Arabian Sea have been advised to return and others are warned not to venture into the sea from May 1418With inputs from agency