Cyclone Nisarga Makes Landfall In Maharashtra, Over 1000 evacuated

Cyclonic storm Nisarga made landfall near Maharashtra’s Raigad district at around 12.30 pm Wednesday amid heavy rain. Travelling at a speed of 20 kmph, the storm is now raging with a wind speed of 100–110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph. The landfall process will be completed in three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

#WATCH: #CycloneNisarga makes landfall along Maharashtra coast, process will be completed during next 3 hours. Visuals from Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/YKWizX82lC

— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2020

“The centre of the cyclone is very close to Maharashtra coast. The landfall process started and it will be completed during next three hours. The northeast sector of the eye of severe cyclonic storm ‘Nisarga’ is entering into land,” the weather department said.

Everyone has been asked to stay inside and not go outside in public places like beaches and parks, along the Mumbai coastline, the Mumbai police said in a late-night order.

More than 19,000 people have been moved to safety in Maharastra. CM Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday appealed to the citizens to “stay indoors”. “The cyclone could be more severe than the ones the state has faced till now,” Mr. Thackeray said.

DO’s & DONT’s to stay safe! #CycloneNisarga pic.twitter.com/bLdEXUaAdb

— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) June 3, 2020

43 teams of National Disaster Response Force or NDRF have been stationed in areas expected to be affected along Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts.

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli are on high alert as few parts of these two states and the UTs are on the path of the cyclone that occurred over a low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea.

Nisarga is the second cyclonic storm to hit India’s coasts in nearly two weeks. Last month Cyclone Amphan, struck Bengal and parts of Odisha, killing nearly 100 people and affecting lakhs.