Cyclone Nisarga weakens into low pressure area on day 2

Cyclone Nisarga, which weakened into a depression earlier in the day further weakened into a "well marked low pressure area" and lay over central parts of Madhya Pradesh on Thursday evening, said the India Meteorological Department.

The cyclone made landfall in Raigad district on Wednesday afternoon, blowing in from the Arabian sea, with an intensity of severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph peaking at 120 kmph.

But it spared Mumbai, the country's financial capital which is already struggling to cope up with the coronavirus pandemic. Damage to houses and crops was reported mainly in coastal Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra before the storm weakened.

As per a Maharashtra government statement, six persons lost lives in incidents related to the cyclone while 16 suffered injuries in the state. Six cattle were also killed, the statement said. Trees and electricity poles were uprooted in many areas. Parts of Raigad district plunged into darkness and telephone connectivity too was hit in the area.

"The depression (remnant of the severe cyclonic storm Nisarga) over south Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Vidarbha (in Maharashtra) moved north-northeastwards, further weakened into a Well Marked Low Pressure area and lay over central parts of Madhya Pradesh at 1730 hrs IST of today," the IMD said.

"It is very likely to weaken gradually into a Low pressure area," it added. The Harnai observatory of the IMD in Ratnagiri recorded 121 mm rainfall between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on Thursday. In Mumbai, the Colaba weather station recorded 50 mm rainfall, while the Santacruz station registered 47 mm rainfall during this period.

Coastal district of Ratnagiri and north Maharashtra district of Nashik recorded 30 mm and 1 mm rainfall, respectively. "Moderate rain/thundershowers" were likely in the city and suburbs of Mumbai and "heavy falls likely at isolated places over the next 24 hours", the IMD forecast added.

The gusty winds and rains seem to have had a positive impact on Mumbai's air quality index, which improved to 17 on Thursday, the best reading for this year. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray asked officials to complete panchnamas or inspection reports of losses due to the cyclone in Raigad district within two days.

Speaking at a video conference to take a stock of damage, Thackeray also directed that electricity supply be restored quickly, said a statement from the chief minister's office. Thackeray directed the authorities to provide aid of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of those killed.

Cyclone Nisarga, which made landfall near Alibaug on Wednesday afternoon, felled over one lakh tress in Raigad district. Shrivardhan and Murud tehsils were worst hit with all communication being paralyzed, the CMO statement said. The cyclone dumped 72.5 mm of rain in Maharashtra while 78,191 people were shifted to safer places, the CMO statement added.