Cyclone TAUKTAE: Alert issued for these Indian coasts

Bhubaneswar: With the cyclonic storm “Tauktae” (pronounced as Tau’Te) over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea advanced towards north-northwest in the wee hours today, the India Meteorological Department issued cyclone alert for Gujarat and Diu coasts.

The cyclonic storm TAUKTAE over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area moved nearly north-northwestwards with a speed of about 9 kmph during past six hours and lay centred over eastcentral and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea about 160 km north-northwest of Amini Divi, 350 km south-southwest of Panjim-Goa, 960 km south-southeast of Veraval and 1050 km south-southeast of Karachi.

“It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Naliya during May 18,” the IMD said.