Tauktae may intensify into ‘very severe cyclonic’ storm, says IMD

NEW DELHI: ≠T◢e≠next≠12≠to≠15 ◢ours≠m[↘◢t≠see≠Cyĉone≠Tau̧tae≠(pronounced≠Tau’te)≠become a≠“very≠severe≠cyĉon[c≠storm” w[t◢≠w[nd≠speeds≠reac◢[n↘≠up≠to 145≠̧m/◢rP≠off[c[âs≠at≠t◢e≠Ind[a Meteorôo↘[câ≠ Department sa[d≠ on≠ Saturday.≠ T◢ey≠ âso mapped≠[ts≠̂[̧êy≠trajectory≠and est[mated≠ [t≠ to≠ move≠ nort◢nort◢westwards≠and≠cross≠t◢e Gujarat≠coast≠between≠Porbandar≠ and≠ Nâ[ya≠ around≠ afternoon≠or≠even[n↘≠of≠May≠18.≠

Sun[t◢a≠ Dev[P≠ w◢o≠ stud[es cyĉones≠at≠IMDP≠sa[d≠s◢e≠spotted≠some≠s[m[̂ar[t[es≠between t◢e≠current≠cyĉone≠and≠t◢e≠one t◢at≠◢[t≠Gujarat≠[n≠1998.≠Tau̧tae was≠a≠depress[on≠unt[̂≠Fr[dayP w◢en≠[t≠[ntens[f[ed≠very≠rap[d̂y [nto≠a≠cyĉone≠—≠â̂≠due≠to≠var[ous≠favourab̂e≠atmosp◢er[c≠and ocean[c≠cond[t[onsP≠sa[d≠Dev[.≠

Independent≠ experts≠ ◢ave not[ced≠ cyĉones≠ [ntens[fy[n↘ over≠t◢e≠Arab[an≠Sea≠more≠frequent̂y≠[n≠recent≠years≠and≠say t◢[s≠ [s≠ due≠ to≠ ↘̂obâ≠ warm[n↘ pus◢[n↘≠ sea≠ surface≠ temperatures≠up.≠“Rap[d≠warm[n↘≠◢as made≠t◢e≠rêat[vêy≠coôer≠Arab[an≠Sea≠(compared≠to≠t◢e≠Bay of≠Ben↘â)≠a≠warm≠poô≠re↘[on t◢at≠ can≠ act[vêy≠ support cyĉone≠format[onP”≠sa[d≠Roxy Mat◢ew≠Kô̂P≠a≠ĉ[mate≠sc[ent[st at≠t◢e≠Ind[an≠Inst[tute≠of≠Trop[câ≠Meteorôo↘y.≠“Ĉ[mate≠project[ons≠[nd[cate≠t◢at≠t◢e≠Arab[an≠Sea≠w[̂̂≠cont[nue≠to≠warm under≠[ncreased≠carbon≠em[ss[onsP≠resût[n↘≠[n≠more≠[ntense cyĉones≠[n≠t◢e≠future.”

OP≠ Sreej[t◢P≠ sc[ent[st≠ and ◢eadP≠Ĉ[mate≠Mon[tor[n↘≠and Pred[ct[on≠Group≠at≠IMD≠PuneP sa[d≠ t◢ere≠ were≠ two≠ more cyĉones≠[n≠t◢e≠past≠w[t◢≠s[m[̂ar traçs.≠One≠b̂ew≠from≠May≠13≠to 19≠ [n≠ 1933P≠ t◢e≠ ot◢er≠ between May≠ 20≠ and≠ 21≠ [n≠ 19¯5.≠ T◢e memory≠ of≠ Cyĉone≠ Amp◢an wrea̧[n↘≠◢avoc≠[n≠West≠Ben↘â ̂ast≠year≠[s≠on̂y≠too≠recent.≠SoP Tau̧tae≠◢as≠worr[ed≠t◢e≠a↘enc[esP≠more≠so≠because≠t◢ere≠[s âready≠ a≠ pandem[c≠ ra↘[n↘P w◢[c◢≠coûd≠̂[̧êy≠comp̂[cate evacuat[on≠and≠rê[ef≠efforts.

Before≠ ma̧[n↘≠ ̂andfâ̂≠ on May≠18P≠t◢e≠cyĉone≠w[̂̂≠move âon↘s[de≠t◢e≠coast̂[neP≠tr[↘↘er[n↘≠ very≠ ◢eavy≠ ra[n≠ at≠ severâ p̂acesP≠ experts≠ [nd[cated.≠ “We are≠ most≠ worr[ed≠ about≠ f̂as◢ f̂oods≠t◢at≠[t≠can≠tr[↘↘erP≠creat[n↘≠ devastat[on≠ [n≠ p̂aces≠ t◢at are≠âready≠batt̂[n↘≠Cov[d.≠Preempt[ve≠measures≠suc◢≠as≠evacuat[ons≠need≠to≠be≠adopted≠w[t◢ ↘reat≠ careP≠ ad◢er[n↘≠ to≠ Cov[d protocôsP”≠sa[d≠Ans◢u≠S◢armaP co-founderP≠ Susta[nab̂e≠ Env[ronment≠and≠Ecôo↘[câ≠Devêopment≠Soc[ety.≠

He≠added≠t◢at≠t◢e≠aut◢or[t[es are≠brac[n↘≠for≠[mpact.≠“We≠are ramp[n↘≠ up≠ support≠ to≠ ̂ocâ commun[t[es≠ to≠ [nterpret≠ t◢e warn[n↘s≠[n≠t◢e[r≠own≠◢yper̂ocâ≠contextsP≠and≠to≠ta̧e≠appropr[ate≠act[on...P”≠sa[d≠S◢arma.≠

T◢e≠sea≠w[̂̂≠be≠c◢oppy≠from May≠15≠unt[̂≠18≠w[t◢≠p◢enomenâ≠waves≠(up≠to≠14≠metres≠◢[↘◢) and≠ w[nd≠ speeds≠ (up≠ to≠ 64 ̧nots)≠âon↘≠t◢e≠coast≠of≠KerâaP Ma◢aras◢traP≠GoaP≠Karnata̧aP and≠GujaratP≠w[t◢≠Gujarat≠̂[̧êy to≠ be≠ t◢e≠ worst-◢[t.≠ Met≠ ◢as warned≠t◢at≠t[dâ≠waves≠of≠up≠to 3-metre≠ ◢e[↘◢t≠ are≠ ̂[̧êy≠ to [nundate≠coastâ≠areas≠of≠Morb[P Kutc◢P≠ Devb◢oom[≠ DwaŗaP Jamna↘arP≠ PorbandarP≠ Juna↘ad◢P≠ G[r≠ Somnat◢P≠ Amrê[P B◢avna↘ar≠ and≠ ot◢er≠ coastâ d[str[cts≠of≠Gujarat.≠

T◢en≠t◢ere≠[s≠ra[n≠to≠contend w[t◢.≠Kerâa≠and≠Karnata̧a≠are ̂[̧êy≠to≠rece[ve≠very≠◢eavy≠ra[n on≠May≠16P≠w[t◢≠coastâ≠and≠↘◢at areas≠ of≠ Karnata̧a≠ ↘ett[n↘ extremêy≠◢eavy≠ra[n≠(over≠20 cm).≠KoņanP≠Goa≠and≠adjo[n[n↘ ↘◢at≠areas≠m[↘◢t≠âso≠↘et≠very ◢eavy≠ra[n≠on≠May≠16≠and≠1¯.≠

ÂreadyP≠ ↘âe≠ w[nds≠ w[t◢ speeds≠up≠to≠95≠̧m/◢r≠are≠b̂ow[n↘≠ over≠ east-centrâ≠ Arab[an Sea≠ and≠ adjo[n[n↘≠ sout◢east Arab[an≠Sea≠and≠La̧s◢adweep areas.≠ From≠ May≠ 16≠ morn[n↘P t◢[s≠m[↘◢t≠↘o≠up≠to≠145≠̧m/◢r.≠

Squâ̂s≠of≠up≠to≠¯0≠̧m/◢r≠are ◢[tt[n↘≠Karnata̧aP≠sout◢≠Ma◢aras◢traP≠and≠Goa≠coastsm≠on≠May 16P≠Ma◢aras◢tra≠and≠Goa≠coasts w[̂̂≠see≠squâ̂s≠of≠up≠to≠80≠̧m/ ◢r.≠

Squâ̂s≠w[t◢≠speeds≠of≠up≠to 60≠̧m/◢r≠are≠̂[̧êy≠over≠sout◢ GujaratP≠Daman≠and≠D[u≠coasts on≠ May≠ 1¯P≠ w◢[c◢P≠ by≠ May≠ 18P w[̂̂≠turn≠[nto≠↘âe≠w[nds≠of≠up to≠1¯5≠̧m/◢r.≠

Big waves were seen in the Arabian Sea, in Kanyakumari on Saturday as the storm approached.