Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm “Tauktae” has started to make landfall over the coast of Saurashtra, Gujarat, India at around 15:00 UTC on May 17, 2021. This is the first named storm of the 2021 North Indian Ocean cyclone season and the strongest to hit Gujarat since 1998.

“The forward sector of the eye is entering into the land. The center of the cyclone will cross the Saurashtra coast to the east of Diu within the next 3 hours. Outer cloud band lies over Saurashtra,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said 15:46 UTC.

At the time of landfall, the system had maximum intensity near the center of 165 – 175 km/h (100 – 110 mph), gusting to 195 km/h (120 mph), according to the IMD.

At 11:00 UTC, Takutae’s maximum 3-minute sustained winds were 195 km/h (120 mph), gusting up to 215 km/h (130 mph). Maximum 1-minute sustained winds were at 215 km/h (130 mph).

The system’s central barometric pressure was 950 hPa.

It was moving N at 13 km/h (8.1 mph).

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is continuing over north Konkan, including Mumbai, and will continue for the next 12 hours,

Rainfall reported from 03:00 to 12:00 UTC today: Mumbai (Colaba) 189 mm (7.44 inches), Santacruz 194 mm (7.63 inches), Alibag 105 mm (4.13 inches), and Dahanu: 73 mm (2.87 inches).