DM Monitoring
New Delhi: A major cyclone packing ferocious winds and threatening a destructive storm surge bore down on India on Monday, disrupting the country’s response to its devastating Covid-19 outbreak.
At least six people died over the weekend in torrential rains and winds as Cyclone Tauktae, according to press reports, the biggest to hit western India in 30 years, swept over the Arabian Sea with Gujarat state in its sights. The “Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm” was due to make landfall on Monday between 8pm-11pm with winds of 155-165 kilometres per hour gusting up to 185 kmph, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
It warned of storm surges of up to three metres high in some of Gujarat’s coastal districts. The colossal swirling system visible from space exacerbated India’s dire problems dealing with a huge coronavirus surge that is killing at least 4,000 people every day and pushing hospitals to breaking point.
In Gujarat, where on Sunday and overnight more than 100,000 people from 17 districts were evacuated, all Covid-19 patients in hospitals within five kilometres of the coast were also moved.
