Cyclone Tauktae: Mumbai, Thane on orange alert, Raigad on red

Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts are on orange alert while Raigad district has been put on red alert due to Cyclone Tauktae, informed the Chief Minister Office (CMO) Maharashtra on Monday.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is closely monitoring the cyclone situation in the state.

As many as 12,420 citizens were relocated to safer places from the coastal areas so far.

'CM Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray is closely monitoring the #CycloneTauktae situation in the State. So far, 12,420 citizens were relocated to safer places from the coastal areas. Mumbai, Thane & Palghar districts are on orange alert while Raigad district is on red alert,' tweeted Maharashtra CMO.

Earlier Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL, informed that operations at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will remain closed from 11 am to 2 pm today in view of the Cyclone Tauktae.

A heavy downpour accompanied by gusty winds was today witnessed at the Gateway of India in Mumbai due to the effect of the cyclone.

The Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai will also be closed for commuters till further notice due to heavy wind speed triggered due to the effect of Cyclone Tauktae, said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) asking people to take alternate routes.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted moderate to intense spells of rain with gusty winds reaching 90-100 kmph at isolated places in the districts of Raigad, Palghar, Mumbai, Thane and Ratnagiri.

The IMD had stated that Cyclone Tauktae is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm within the next 24 hours and that it will cross the western coast of Gujarat in the early morning of May 18.