Cyclone Tauktae: Red Alert In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala; NDRF Teams Dispatched | Top Highlights

New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said a depression has formed over Lakshadweep area, which will intensify further into a cyclone during the next 24 hours and move towards the Gujarat coast.

“Depression over Lakshadweep area near latitude 11.0°N and longitude 72.5°E, about 30 km south-southwest of Amini Divi, To intensify into a Cyclonic Storm in next 24 http://hrs.To move move north-northwestwards and reach near Gujarat coast by 18th May morning,” the IMD posted on its Twitter handle.

The IMD has warned of heavy rainfall for parts of Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat in view of the rapid intensification of Cyclone Tauktae, which formed over the Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep.

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The cyclone will concentrate over the same region by Saturday morning and further intensify into a cyclonic storm the next day.

“It is very likely to intensify into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to intensify further. It is very likely to move initially north-northeastwards till today evening. It would then move north-northwestwards and reach near Gujarat coast by May 18 morning,” as per the weather department.

The IMD has issued rainfall warning for Lakshadweep islands, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Gujarat and Goa.

• Lakshadweep Islands: Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely on Friday, heavy to very heavy falls at a few places on Saturday, heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on Sunday.
• Kerala: Heavy to very heavy falls at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places on Friday and Saturday and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on Sunday and Monday. The state government has opened relief camps and shifting people living in low-lying areas to safer places as rains were lashing several parts. 
• Tamil Nadu (Ghat districts): Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places very likely on Friday, heavy to very heavy falls with extremely heavy falls at isolated places on Saturday and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on Sunday.
• Karnataka (coastal and adjoining Ghat districts): Heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on Friday, heavy to very heavy falls at a few paces with extremely heavy falls at isolated places on Saturday, heavy to very heavy fall at a few places on Sunday and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on Monday.
• South Konkan and Goa: Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places very likely on Saturday and heavy to very heavy falls at a few paces on Sunday and Monday.
• Gujarat: Rainfall activity is very likely to commence from Monday with significant increase during the subsequent two days with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over Saurashtra and Kutch on Tuesday and isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Kutch and adjoining southwest Rajasthan on Wednesday.

The fishermen out in the deep sea have been advised to return to the coast. Meanwhile, shutters of the Aruvikkara dam in Thiruvananthapuram were opened Thursday night due to heavy inflow and continuous downpour resulted in the Karamana and Killi rivers in the state capital to overflow.

In Kerala, Chellanam, a coastal village in Ernakulam, was one of the several places which suffered the wrath of rough sea since Thursday. Several houses were damaged as sea water seeped in due to high tidal waves, local people complained.