On Tuesday, a cyclone Tauktae crashed into western India, killing at least 21 people and leaving 96 others missing, adding to the plight of millions of others who are suffering from a crippling coronavirus outbreak.
Hundreds of thousands of citizens were left without electricity after Cyclone Tauktae slammed into the Gujarat coast on Monday evening, one of a rising number of extremely strong storms in the Arabian Sea blamed on climate change.
As it barreled inland through strengthening somewhat, the cyclone uprooted trees and knocked down power lines and cell phone towers with gusts of up to 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour.
The Indian Navy said one support vessel supporting oil rigs that were struck by massive waves off the coast of Mumbai sunk and that 96 of the 273 people on board were missing.
177 people were saved from the ship, according to the defense ministry, with operations set to continue during the day in “extremely challenging sea conditions.”
In other parts of the country, one more death was announced on Tuesday, bringing the total number of recorded deaths to at least 21, as ferocious winds ripped through flimsy homes and transformed streets into rivers.
Despite the fact that the cyclone was one of the most powerful to strike the region in decades, stronger forecasts than in recent years enabled for good planning, and more than 200,000 people in danger zones were evacuated.
Massive waves hammered the city’s seafront on Monday, forcing officials to shutter the airport for many hours and advise residents to shelter indoors.
Cyclone Tauktae is 650 kilometres south-southeast of Karachi, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, but it poses no danger to the country’s coastline.
The cyclone was 800 kilometres south-southeast of Karachi, according to PMD.
The cyclone was 580 kilometres south of Thatta, according to the new PMD warning. “Maximum sustained winds around the system centre are 180-200 Kmph gusting 220 Kmph.”
The system is expected to travel farther north for a while before recurving to the northeast and crossing Indian Gujarat by midnight today, according to the forecast.
The Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” has been tracking northward at 15 km/h for the past 12 hours and is now centred around latitude 20.4N and longitude 71.2E, according to the PMD.
Until tomorrow evening, very hot and dry weather with gusty winds is expected in Karachi, Hyderabad, Shaheed-Banzirabad, Badin, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar, and Thatta districts.
Fruit orchards in the aforementioned districts can be harmed by strong winds.
“Sea conditions will remain rough to very rough and fishermen of Sindh are advised to suspend their activities till May 19, 2021.”
