In Photos: Cyclone Tauktae lashes Mumbai coast, drenches city

Cyclone Tauktae, the first extremely severe cyclonic storm of 2021, comes as the country battles a resurgent second wave of Covid-19

Cyclone Tauktae rapidly intensified from a very severe to an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Monday morning. IMD predicts it would reach Gujarat on Monday evening and cross the Gujarat coast on Monday night between 8pm and 11pm.

Cyclone Tauktae, went from a Category 1 storm to a Category 4 storm on Monday. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) (AP)

Heavy rains, gusty winds, and water logging was reported all over Mumbai as Tauktae skirted the city's coast as it went from a Category 1 storm to a Category 4 storm. It even managed to bring ongoing vaccination drive to a sudden halt.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) took to Twitter to urge Mumbaikars to stay indoors and "enjoy the weather". Bandra-Worli Sea Link was closed off, and operations were halted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport till 8pm on Monday as an added precautionary measure.

A glimpse of what Mumbai and many other cities experienced as Cyclone Tauktae raged on has been depicted in the photos below.

Dark clouds cover the sky during cyclone Tauktae at Vellayil Harbor in Kozhikode on Monday. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Commuters shield themselves from the rain in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae at Vashi Railway Station in Navi Mumbai on Monday, (Bachchan Kumar/ HT Photo)

A tree fell on a parked two wheeler at Sector -17 Vashi in Navi Mumbai on Monday, (Bachchan Kumar/ HT Photo)

Rain lashes Andheri in Mumbai amid Cyclone Tauktae on Monday (Vijay Bate/HT photo)

Heavy rains and winds lash Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai on Monday. (Bachchan Kumar/HT photoSSS)

Low visibility due to heavy rains near Belapur in Navi Mumbai on Monday. (PTI)

Various parts of Mumbai, including Parel, were water logged due to heavy rains brought by Cyclone Tauktae (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Strong sea waves near the Gateway of India as cyclone Tauktae approaches the coast of Mumbai on Monday (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade) (PTI)

Passenger buses are stranded on a waterlogged road after heavy rains caused by Cyclone Tauktae in Mumbai. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas (REUTERS)

A policeman directs people to leave as waves approach the shore ahead of Cyclone Tauktae in Veraval in the western state of Gujarat on Monday. REUTERS/Amit Dave (REUTERS)

Boats are seen in the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae, on Monday. (ANI Photo)

Several trees collapsed on nearby buildings due to cyclone Tauktae at Candolim in North Goa on Monday. (PTI Photo) (PTI)

Mumbai Mayor, Kishori Pednekar at Gateway of India on Monday as Cyclone Tauktae drenches the city.