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.
