14 May,2021 06:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Gaurav Sarkar
The weekend is likely to see gusty winds and rain
Tauktae, the first cyclone of 2021 forming over the Arabian Sea, is expected to fully develop in two days and bring moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mumbai on May 16 and 17, the IMD has said.
The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted that a low-pressure area is very likely to form over the southeast Arabian Sea around the morning of May 14 and has warned that it might intensify into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Arabian Sea around May 16.
On Wednesday, satellite images showed the formation of dense clouds in the area where the low pressure is expected to form. An IMD official told mid-day, "This will develop into a depression by tomorrow and then intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 16."
IMD has issued warnings for five days in Maharashtra and also indicated that there could be a possibility of more rain over South Konkan, parts of Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada from May 14-16, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning as well as gusty winds. There is also a heavy rainfall warning for Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts for May 16. At the same time, heavy rainfall is expected on May 15-16 over North and South Goa districts.
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"This is the favourable period for the formation of cyclones," said the IMD official, adding that as of now, the weather warnings were meant for the entire west coastline. "It [the cyclonic storm] will come very close to the Maharashtra and Goa coastâ¦but will not come into the coastline. It will take place along the coast and will be restricted to the Arabian Sea about 200-300 km away from the coast."
"Mumbai will receive moderate to heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 16-17, accompanied by winds at 30-40 km/hr. However, the winds won't be as strong as their Konkan counterparts. Parts of the state most likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm are South Konkan, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg," said the IMD official.
"Tauktae" is a Burmese word suggested by Myanmar. It means gecko, a lizard known for its distinctive vocalisations.
