Not causing much damage after hitting the Maharashtra coast with wind speed of up to 120 kmph on Wednesday afternoon, Cyclone Nisarga weakened into a ‘cyclonic storm’ in the evening, the India Meteorological Department said. The cyclone will further weaken into a deep depression by late night.
The process of landfall, which began at 12.30 pm at Alibaug, had completed by 2.30 pm, IMD director general Mrutunjay Mohapatra said. By 4 pm, the cyclone had started weakening with wind speeds of 90-100 kilometres per hour. Although the cyclone made the landfall just 95 kilometres from Mumbai, the metropolitan city largely escaped its wrath.
Cyclone Nisarga did not cause any major damage on the southern coast of Gujarat on Wednesday afternoon and evening following landfall near Alibaug in Maharashtra. The Gujarat government had evacuated over 63,700 people from coastal areas of eight districts and 18 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and six teams of State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were deployed for rescue operations.
Flight operations resumed at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Arrivals and departures were suspended at 2:30 pm due to strong crosswinds induced by Cyclone Nisarga.
Section 144 (CrPC) has been imposed in Mumbai till June 4. Police have asked citizens to refrain from venturing out to coast-beaches, promenade, parks and other similar places along the coastline.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Gujarat, and assured them all possible help from the Centre.
