Mumbai, June 2: Cyclone Nisarga, which will intensify into a 'severe cyclonic storm' in the next 24 hours will severely impact coastal areas of Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Thane and Palghar districts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that Nisarga Cyclone is moving towards Maharashtra coast and will amplify into a severe cyclonic storm by evening of June 3, making landfall near Alibag with a maximum wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph. The cyclone is expected to make a landfall on June 3 near Alibag in Raigad district, which is close to Mumbai.

Dr Anupam Kashyapi, IMD, Pune said as the cyclone would make a landfall in Alibag, several regions including Palghar, Pune, Thane, Mumbai, Raigad, Dhule and Nandurbar, Nashik expected to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday.  Alibag is a coastal town in Raigad District of Maharashtra, which is about 94  km south of Mumbai. According to Sunita Devi, in-charge of cyclones at the IMD, the landfall location will be very close to Alibag in Maharashtra. She added saying that extensive damage can be expected in Mumbai too during the same time.  Nisarga Cyclone Tracker: Cyclonic Storm to Turn Into Severe Cyclonic Storm by June 3; Check Forecast and Day-Wise Movement.

According to several experts, this would be a rarest of the rate moment that Nisarga's landfall will be on the coastline of Maharashtra, close to Mumbai. The last cyclone to hit Mumbai was cyclonic storm 'Phyan' on November 11, 2009.

Nisarga Lies 450 Kms away from Mumbai

At present, the ‘Deep Depression’ over the Arabian Sea is moving with a speed of 11 kmph during past 06 hours and lays centred about 280 km west of Panjim (Goa), 450 km southsouthwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 670 km south-southwest of Surat (Gujarat). Meanwhile, a storm surge of about 1-2 meters height above normal is likely in areas of Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts.

In Maharashtra, 15 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Maharashtra in wake of Nisarga Cyclone — 3 teams in Mumbai, 4 teams in Raigad, 2 teams each in Palghar, Thane and Ratnagiri & 1 each in Sindhudurg and Navi Mumbai.

Wind Speed Over Next 2 Day in Maharashtra

Squally wind, speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph will gradually increase becoming Gale wind, speed reaching 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph, over Maharashtra & Goa coasts from today evening and further becoming 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph in Maharashtra's Raigad, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane coast from the morning of June 3.  Squally wind, speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph is likely prevail over eastcentral Arabian Sea along and off Karnataka-Goa coasts during next 24 hours.

WATCH: Cyclone Nisarga Storm Tracker

The IMD said the system is very likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during next six hours and further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move nearly northwards during next few hours, recurve northnortheastwards thereafter. The super storm will then cross Maharashtra and Gujarat coasts between Harihareshwar and Daman, close to Alibagh (Raigad District, Maharashtra) during the afternoon of June 3, 2020 as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 02, 2020 04:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).