New Delhi: The extremely severe cyclonic storm “Tauktae” over the east-central Arabian Sea moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 15 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs on Monday over the east-central Arabian sea near latitude 18.8?N and longitude 71.5?E, about 150 km west of Mumbai, 220 km south-southeast of Diu, 260 km southeast of Veraval (Gujarat), and 490 km east-southeast of Karachi (Pakistan), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach Gujarat coast in the evening hours today & cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar & Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) from 2000 ? 2300 hrs tonight with a maximum sustained wind speed 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph, the IMD said in a bulletin a short while ago.
After the landfall, the system is very likely to re-curve north-northeastwards, across Gujarat and weaken gradually. It is likely to maintain the intensity of Cyclonic Storm till the evening of Tuesday and thereafter it will weaken gradually into a Depression over south Rajasthan.
Under its influence, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places is very likely over interior districts of Gujarat on 17th and up to 18th afternoon and over south Rajasthan on May 18.
While damage is expected over interior districts of Gujarat, minor damage to power and communication lines is also likely.
Besides major damage to kutcha and some damage to pucca roads, breaking of tree branches, uprooting of small trees and damage to banana and papaya trees is also forecast.