Cyclone Nisarga To Turn Severe Before Making Landfall In Maharashtra, With Over 100 Kmph Winds
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for Mumbai and six other districts of Maharashtra as Cyclone Nisarga is predicted to make landfall on June 3.According to the IMD, the deep depression which has turned into tropical cyclonic storm Nisarga in the Arabian Sea is moving northwards at a speed of four kilometres per hour.
"Nisarga" currently lies as a depression 490 km from Mumbai, 280 km from Goa's capital city and 710 km from Surat district in Gujarat.It is likely to intensify further in the next 12 hours before it makes landfall on Wednesday afternoon between Harihareshwar and Daman.
Low pressure, depression and deep depression are the first three levels used by the IMD to classify cyclones based on their intensity.?
IMD's Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said that the severe cyclonic storm will have a wind speed of 90-105 kmph when it crosses the coast on June 3.The IMD Director General also said that the cyclonic storm will affect the coastal districts of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, more than Gujarat and neighbouring states.?
"As per our predictions, Maharashtra coastal districts like Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Thane, Raigad, Mumbai and Palgarh will be more affected by it."The Central Water Commission has sounded flood alert for Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Thane, Mumbai, Palgarh and Nasik districts of Maharashtra, Daman district of union territory of Daman and Dui, Silvassa district of Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Valsad district of Gujarat.?
There could be inundation in low lying areas, townships, and city areas. Wind speed could also cause damage to trees, telephone, and electric poles, Mohapatra warned.?
With cyclone Nisarga expected to make landfall south of Mumbai, several teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed at various places of the state. Two NDRF teams have been deployed in Palghar, three teams in Mumbai. one in Thane, 2 teams in Raigad and one team in Ratnagiri.?
According to Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, it will be the first-ever cyclone in recorded history to hit the Maharashtra coast in June.Whereas, as per another researcher at the same institute, 'Nisarga' will be only the second cyclone in recorded history that will be hitting the Maharashtra coast in the pre-monsoon season i.e. April-June.
"The one and only cyclone in the past that hit Maharashtra coast in the pre-monsoon season was May 1961 cyclone," Vineet Kumar said.
This is the second cyclone to hit the Indian coast in weeks. In Mid-May West Bengal and Odisha were hit by Cyclone Ampan, one of the most powerful cyclones ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal.
