‘Monster’ cyclone to batter Covid-ravaged India, 800kms away from Karachi
Ahmedabad
At least 12 people have been killed amid the severe Cyclone Tauktae that is roaring in the Arabian Sea off southwestern India with winds of up to 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour), Indian officials said.
Cyclone Tauktae — India’s first major tropical storm this season — is moving northwards in parallel with the country’s western coast, bringing heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds to several states, the meteorological department said.
It is expected to make land in coastal Gujarat as early as Monday night, bringing wind speeds of around 150-160 kilometres per hour (93-99 miles per hour), the weather bureau added.
The deaths so far have been reported across coastal districts of four states: Karnataka, Kerala, Goa and Maharashtra.
The most intense cyclone in more than two decades has already killed eight in Goa and Karnataka.
Nearly 150,000 people were moved from their homes in the Indian state of Gujarat to safety on Monday and authorities closed ports and a main airport as the most intense cyclone in more than two decades roared up the west coast.
Cyclone Tauktae has killed eight people and left a trail of destruction as it brushed past the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka and Goa, authorities said.— Reuters
