Cyclone Nisarga likely to cross Maharashtra, Gujarat coast by Wednesday afternoon: IMD

Cyclone `Nisarga' is very likely to intensify into a "severe cyclonic storm" over the next 12 hours and cross Maharashtra and South Gujarat coast on Wednesday afternoon, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

The storm will cross North Maharashtra and adjoining South Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman, on June 3 afternoon as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind 100-110 gusting to 120 kmph, a senior official said here.

"Cyclonic Storm NISARGA over Arabian Sea. Very likely to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm next 12 hrs," tweeted deputy director general of meteorology K S Hosalikar, IMD, Mumbai, on Tuesday afternoon.

"To cross N Mah & adjoining S Guj coast bent Harihareshwar & Daman, close to Alibag (Raigad) a/n 03rd June as a SCS with a max sustained wind 100-110 gusting to 120 kmph," he added.

While Harihareshwar in Raigad district of Maharashtra is around 190 km south of Mumbai, the Union Territory of Daman is around 170 km in the north of Maharashtra's capital. Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's office had said that out of 16 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams in the state, ten have been deployed in coastal areas.

An alert has been issued for Mumbai city and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, the CMO said. All these are coastal areas. The cyclonic storm could pose another challenge for Maharashtra which is already battling a steep surge in coronavirus cases.

(Photo Credit: PTI)