Battered By COVID-19, Mumbai On Alert As Cyclone Nisarga Nears | Read

Cyclone Nisarga, the first to strike near Mumbai in over 100 years, is barrelling towards the Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts with landfall expected near the city on Wednesday afternoon. The IMD (India Meteorological Department) said Nisarga is likely to intensify into a "severe cyclonic storm" with heavy rainfall and wind speeds in excess of 100 km per hour over the next 12 hours. Mumbai, the city worst affected by the coronavirus outbreak with over 41,000 cases so far, its suburbs and neighbouring districts Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg have all been placed on high alert. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra and Gujarat and the administrator of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and assured all possible support from the centre.