A commercial ship with around 300 people has been swept away from the Mumbai port due to the Tauktae cyclone here. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that Cyclone Tauktae is expected to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm.
The weather department also said that the cyclone is likely to pass close to Mumbai and may cause heavy rainfall in the city.
Tauktae will also cross the Gujarat coast by May 18. Considering the warning, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has shifted more than 500 Covid-19 patients to state and civic-run hospitals in Mumbai.
As a precautionary measure, the BMC is also contemplating shutting down the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has increased the number of teams earmarked to undertake relief and rescue measures in the wake of impending Cyclone Tauktae.
The NDRF has formed 100 teams and they are being deployed in the coastal regions of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
