Cyclone Nisarga: National Disaster Response Force said it has positioned 9 teams in vulnerable districts.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today appealed to the people of Mumbai to "stay indoors" as Cyclone Nisarga has been forecast by the weather office to make landfall in the state's coast tomorrow.
The cyclone that formed due to a low pressure area in the Arabian Sea comes at a time when the state with the highest number of coronavirus cases in India has been struggling to deal with an overburdened healthcare infrastructure. Any damage left in the wake of the cyclone will add more stress and could complicate the fight against COVID-19.
The Chief Minister asked the residents of Mumbai to be prepared to face possible power cuts as strong winds hit the city. He asked them to charge their gadgets and if possible, keep emergency lights handy.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that tropical cyclone Nisarga has headed for the Maharashtra coast, and is going to make landfall on June 3 close to Mumbai.
"Depression over east-central Arabian Sea lay near latitude 14.4deg N and longitude 71.2deg E about 300 km west-southwest of Panjim, 550 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 770 km south-southwest of Surat," the IMD added.
The organisation has advised, "fishermen not to venture into the southeast Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep area and along and off Kerala coast during next 48 hours; east-central Arabian Sea and along with off Karnataka-Goa coasts till June 3 east-central the Arabian Sea along and off Maharashtra coast and the northeast Arabian Sea along and off Gujarat coast during June 3-4."
Yesterday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said it has positioned nine teams in vulnerable districts - three in Mumbai, two in Palghar, one in Thane, one in Raigad, one in Ratnagiri and one in Sindhudurg.
Here are the live updates on Cyclone Nisarga:
20 NDRF teams deployed in Maharashtra
Twenty teams of NDRF have been deployed in the state of Maharashtra to tackle the cyclone Nisarga. Here's a breakup:
1. Mumbai 8 teams
2. Raigad 5 teams
3. Palghar 2 teams
4. Thane 2 teams (1 enroute)
5. Ratnagiri 2 teams
6. Sindhudurg 1 team
Mumbai Restricts Movement Of People Near Coast Over Cyclone NisargaNo one is allowed to come out in public places like beaches, parks and promenades along the Mumbai coastline as Cyclone Nisarga is forecast to make landfall around noon on Wednesday, the police said in a late night order.
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli have been put on high alert as some parts of these two states and the Union Territories fall on the path of the cyclone that developed over a low pressure area over the Arabian Sea.
The ban is from Wednesday morning till next day's noon, the police said in the order, anyone caught violating the ban will face criminal action.
Read More Eight Special Trains To Mumbai Rescheduled
Considering the impending threat posed by Cyclone Nisarga, which is likely to hit Mumbai on June 3, the Central Railways rescheduled eight trains which were supposed to arrive or depart from the state capital on Wednesday.
The timings of 02542 LTT-Gorakhpur, 06345 LTT-Thiruvananthapuram, 01061 LTT-Darbhanga, 01071 LTT-Varanasi, 01019 CSMT-Bhubaneshwar special trains, which were scheduled to leave Mumbai area during daytime, were changed to night, according to the Central Railways.
Similarly, special trains from Patna, Varanasi, and Thiruvananthapuram, which were scheduled to reach during the daytime, were regulated and will now arrive in Mumbai behind schedule.
Cyclone Nisarga To Make Landfall Near Maharashtra's Alibaug: Weather Agency IMDCyclone Nisarga, which is moving towards Gujarat and Maharashtra coasts, will turn into a severe cyclone on Wednesday and will make landfall near Alibaug, triggering heavy rainfall and wind with speed upto 110 kilometre per hour, India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday. It is the first storm in over a century that threatens Mumbai.
"It is very likely to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours. It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibagh (Raigad District, Maharashtra) during the afternoon June 3 with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph," an IMD statement said.
Read More Mumbai Airport Cancels 31 Out Of 50 Scheduled Flights
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will be operating a total of 19 flights, which include 11 departures and 8 arrivals, on June 3.
The flights will be operated by 5 airlines which include Air Asia India, Air India, IndiGo, GoAir and SpiceJet.
There could be changes to the schedule and passengers are requested to check the schedule with their respective airline before leaving for the airport, the airport said in a statement.
10 NDRF teams join Cyclone Nisarga relief operations: NDRF chief
5 NDRF teams each from Bathinda and Vijaywada airlifted successfully for joining ongoing operations for Cyclone Nisarga in Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. 5 teams for Gujarat already landed in Surat. 5 teams for Maharashtra airborne: NDRF Director General SN Pradhan tells news agency ANI.
Cyclone Nisarga: Mumbai airport to operate only 12 arrival flights tomorrow
Cyclone Nisarga: Cyclonic storm centred over East-central Arabian Sea
The Cyclonic storm Nisarga over East-central Arabian Sea moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours.
"The cyclonic storm lay centred at 5.30 pm today over East-central Arabian Sea near latitude 16.3degN and longitude 71.3degE, about 280 km west-northwest of Panjim (Goa), 350 km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra), 300 km south-southwest of Alibaug (Maharashtra) and 560 km south-southwest of Surat (Gujarat)," India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Cyclone Nisarga - "Please Stay Indoors For 2 Days": Uddhav ThackerayMaharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray today appealed to the people of the state to "stay indoors" as Cyclone Nisarga has been forecast by the weather office to make landfall in the state's coast tomorrow. Read more
here Mumbai receives rainfall as cyclone Nisarga approaches western coast
Cyclone Nisarga likely to make landfall near Alibaug tomorrow
Maharashtra: National Disaster Response Force team has been deployed in Palghar in view of cyclone Nisarga
Gujarat: NDRF and police evacuate people from Mendhar and Bhat villages
Cyclone "Nisarga" to make landfall near Alibag 
10 NDRF Teams Deployed As Cyclonic Storm Approaches: Maharashtra Chief Minister
Ten teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed for rescue operations in view of the ''Nisarga'' cyclone, which is likely to hit the west coast of Maharashtra on Wednesday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Tuesday.
Elaborating about the government's preparedness for the approaching cyclonic storm, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) tweeted that an alert has been issued for Mumbai city
and suburbs, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg
districts.
It also said precautions will be taken during relief work given the prevalence of COVID-19.
Ahead Of Cyclone, Over 20,000 People To Be Evacuated In Gujarat
With Gujarat bracing for the approaching cyclonic storm ''Nisarg'', the Valsad and Navsari district administrations have started evacuating nearly 20,000 people from 47 villages located close to the state coastline, officials said on Tuesday.
Besides, in a relief to people living near the shore, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday indicated the cyclone may not make a landfall on the Gujarat coast.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he has taken the stock of the situation in the wake of cyclone conditions in parts of India's western coast.
Update | 15 teams of NDRF deployed in Maharashtra as cyclone nears:
• Mumbai: 3 teams
• Raigad: 4 teams (2 enroute)
• Palghar: 2 teams
• Thane: 2 teams (1 enroute)
• Ratnagiri: 2 teams (1 enroute)
• Sindhudurg: 1 team
• Navi Mumbai: 1 team enroute
Watch | Satya Pradhan, Director General of NDRF on Cyclone Nisarga preparedness: "One lesson that #Apmhan taught us is that you have to evacuate well in time.
Watch | India Coast Guard ships, shore stations issue warnings to fishermen and merchant vessels about impending adverse weather and request them to return to nearest harbour as Cyclone Nisarga closes in.
A cyclone is expected to hit western coast of Maharashtra on 3 June. All precautions are being taken to ensure zero casualty, including relocating people from unsafe localities.
This is how Maharashtra government is preparing for Cyclone Nisarga:
The India Meteorological Department said depression over east-central Arabian sea intensified into deep depression
Mumbai On Alert As Nisarga, City's 2nd Cyclone In A Century, Closes InTropical storm "Nisarga", which is headed towards the coasts in Maharashtra and Gujarat, is likely to intensify into a cyclone in the next 12 hours and is expected to make a landfall close to Mumbai tomorrow. This would be the first cyclonic storm to impact India's financial capital, which has logged over 41,000 coronavirus cases so far, since 1882.
Read more
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani chaired a high level meeting yesterday over Cyclone Nisarga, in Ahmedabad. The cyclone is expected to cross Harihareshwar (Maharashtra) and Daman coast on the evening of June 3.
NDRF teams deployed in Palghar conduct survey in view of impending severe Cyclone Nisarga.
- Fishermen have been asked to come back from the sea and respective district collectors have been asked to ensure there is no loss of life, a stame from the Maharashtra Chief Minister's office said.
- Hospitals that are not treating coronavirus patients will be made available for those needing medical assistance, it added.
- The storm may cause major damage to thatched houses, huts, power and communication lines and coastal crops, the weather department has said.
- Steps are being taken to ensure there is no disruption of power supply at a time when the state is battling the coronavirus crisis and thousands of patients are undergoing treatment in various hospitals, the NDRF said on Monday.
- Tropical storm "Nisarga", which is headed towards the coasts in Maharashtra and Gujarat, is likely to intensify into a cyclone in the next 12 hours and is expected to make a landfall close to Mumbai tomorrow.
- This would be the first cyclonic storm to impact India's financial capital, which has logged over 41,000 coronavirus cases so far, since 1882.
- It may further intensify into a "severe cyclonic storm" in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department or IMD said this morning.
- Mumbai and neighbouring districts have been placed on high alert.