Cyclone Nisarga is all set to cross Maharashtra and Gujarat at a speed of 110 kmph — Mumbai on ‘red’ alert

• The cyclone is expected to hit the Maharashtra coast by Wednesday afternoon or evening with high wind speeds ranging up to 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.
• The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued ‘red’ alert for Mumbai, Thane and Palghar where the city police has placed Section 144 of CrPC for 24.
• As many as 65,000 people across five districts have been evacuated in Mumbai.
• In Gujarat, the administration is evacuating over 78,000 people from four districts close to the coastline.

Cyclone 'Nisarga' is all set to make landfall along the Maharashtra coast on Wednesday with high wind speeds between 100 to 110 kilometres per hour (kmph) gusting to 120 kmph, according to the Home Ministry. It added that heavy rainfall can also be expected in the city of Mumbai and other coastal areas of the state.

Landfall is when the eye of the cyclone moves on land after being on water. However, it doesn’t mean the cyclone has “arrived” at that particular time.

The storm is likely to impact Mumbai, Thane and other coastal districts of Maharashtra like Raigad and Palghar along with Valsad, Navsari, Surat, Bhavnagar and Bharuch districts of Gujarat and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

The cyclone’s impact is coming at a time when both Maharashtra and Gujarat are struggling to control the increasing coronavirus infection in their region.