Cyclone makes landfall; a lucky escape for Mumbai
NISARGA STRIKES Severe cyclonic storm lashes coast at 120kmph, snaps power lines, fells trees
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Nisarga, the first severe cyclone to impact Mumbai in more than 60 years, largely spared India’s financial capital on Wednesday as the severe cyclonic storm weakened after its landfall south of the city, claiming no major damages or loss of life in the region.
The cyclone crossed the coast near Alibag in Raigad district with wind speeds of up to 120km per hour at 12.30pm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Experts said Mumbai remained largely unaffected as the landfall, initially expected to be 16km away in Alibag, deviated 75km from the coastal resort town.
Two people died as the storm uprooted trees in neighbouring districts, but no major damages were reported as workers began clearing debris on Wednesday night. The deep depression that formed over the Arabian Sea earlier this week turned into a severe cyclonic storm and reached the coastline of Maharashtra on Wednesday.
“It made landfall south of Alibag. The cyclone’s eye diameter was 80km and the eye crossed south of Alibag in Raigad but rest of it crossed neighbouring districts,” said IMD director general M Mohapatra. He added that while the forecast on the cyclone track was accurate, the effect on Mumbai was diminished as the landfall happened at least 75km south of Alibag, in Diveagar.
IMD’s prediction of extremely heavy rainfall was not reported in several areas of Mumbai. The city, however, recorded a gale wind speed of 72kmph at its southern tip, Colaba, quelling fears that the administrative and health care resources, already stretched on account of its coronavirus disease (Covid-19) caseload, would not be able to cope with a natural disaster.
Private forecaster Skymet Weather said it was a close shave for the city, which has so far recorded about 43,000 Covid-19 cases and is making attempts at keeping its health care system from being overrun. “Our observation is that the impact on Mumbai was less because the landfall location was shifted somewhat south of Alibag. There was only light to moderate rains in Mumbai during and immediately after landfall,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, climate and meteorology at Skymet Weather.
Visuals of lacerating rain, swaying trees and waves crashing against tetrapod barriers that line the Konkan coast beamed on television screens as people stayed indoors on the advice of the state government.