Mumbai Police impose Section 144 in view of Cyclone Nisarga

A deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea, which intensified into cyclone Nisarga on Tuesday noon is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph near Alibag in Raigad district on June 3, the India Metereological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

In view of the threat posed by impending Cyclone Nisarga, the Mumbai Police on Wednesday imposed Section 144 in the entire city from midnight to Thursday afternoon and banned people from coming to places like beaches, parks and promenades along the coastline.

The IMD said that the cyclone was likely to cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Daman and Harihareshwar in Raigad on Wednesday afternoon. (PTI)

Due to the cyclone, there are 8 arrivals and 11 departures of flights for Wednesday, instead of 25 departures and 25 arrivals, said a statement.

A deep depression over east-central Arabian Sea, which intensified into cyclone Nisarga on Tuesday noon is expected to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100 to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph near Alibag in Raigad district on June 3, the India Metereological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.

It started as a warning on Sunday for mid-week heavy rains in Mumbai and by Monday, rapidly developed into a red alert for several coastal districts as the deep depression progressed over the Arabian Sea. As of Tuesday noon, cyclone Nisarga was 280 km west-southwest of Goa, 490 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 710 km south-southwest of Surat .

The IMD said that the cyclone was likely to cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Daman and Harihareshwar in Raigad on Wednesday afternoon.

The western coastline from Konkan’s Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri to Saurashtra’s Bhavnagar and other districts of Gujarat including Surat and Baruch have received wind warnings ranging from 55-65 kmph (gusting to 75kmph) and increasing to gusting speeds of 115-120kmph in four Maharashtra districts of Palghar, Mumbai, Thane and Raigad.

Though a wide expanse of districts stands to be affected across coastal Maharashtra and Gujarat, higher wind speeds in the four districts mentioned above offer an indication of where the cyclone is likely to have maximum impact.