The Arabian Sea launched Cyclone ‘Tauktae’ (pronounced Tau’Te) which formed over the Lakshadweep area and joined the Southeast and East-Central Arabian Sea in the small hours today (Saturday), much earlier than originally anticipated, it is predicted to intensify like a strong cyclone by tomorrow (Sunday) morning.
‘Tauktae’ was located above the east-central and adjacent areas of the south-east Arabian Sea and the Lakshadweep area after 120 km north-northwest of the Amini Divi; 300 km west-northwest of Kannur (Kerala); and 990 km away to the south-southeast of Veravala (Gujarat) where it is expected to arrive by Tuesday morning.
It may weaken off the coast of Gujarat
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has hinted that the “Tauktae” will become a very serious cyclone at its peak, but could retreat a bit before approaching the coast of West Gujarat due to the relatively colder waters near the coast and the proximity of the mainland.
Several global models suggest it could bypass the west coast of Gujarat and crash into the coast of southeastern Pakistan around Karachi. The weakened system floated east-northeast in Nawabshah and Sukkur before heading across India to enter the Barmer-Jaisalmer-Bikaner move in western Rajasthan.
Red alert in Kerala districts
This (Saturday) morning a red alert was declared in Kerala in the northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayand, Kannur and Kasaragod, while the next lower level of the orange alert was valid in seven districts, and a yellow one in Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad.
Recent reports suggest that some landslide-prone areas in Idukki County, home to the arch dam of the same name, the largest in the country, have been hit by very heavy to extremely heavy rain. Shutters were opened on the smaller dams of Kallarkutti and Malankara. Extensive damage from heavy rain and fierce winds has been reported.
NDRF teams are deployed
The National Disaster Response Force, whose teams have reached the state in advance and are deployed in vulnerable areas, has launched an action and is leading aid actions in Idukki, the agency reports.
In recent years, widespread sea erosion has been recorded along the length of the state coast.
Meanwhile, updates from the European Center for Medium Weather Forecasts on Saturday morning suggested that the core of the cyclone had reached west of Karwar in coastal Karnataka, blasting the coast north of Mangaluru to Panaji with strong winds and heavy rain. The ghetto area of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Kozhikode and Thalassery in Kerala are simultaneously pounding at the same time.
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