Cyclone Tauktae intensified into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday. The cyclonic storm lay centred at 0230 hrs IST of May 16 about 150 km southwest of Panjim-Goa, 490 km south of Mumbai, 730 km SSWest of Veraval (Gujarat), the MeT department said.

It is expected to cross the Gujarat coast between Porbandar and Mahua (Bhavnagar district) around Monday morning.

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The cyclone is expected to bring heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of Gujarat, including extremely heavy falls in Junagadh and Gir Somnath. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected at a few places in the districts of Saurashtra, Kutch and Diu, namely Gir Somnath, Diu, Junagadh, Porbandar, Devbhoomi Dwarka, Amreli, Rajkot, Jamnagar, the IMD said on Saturday, PTI reported.

As a measure of precaution, the Western Railway has cancelled 56 trains either originating or terminating in Gujarat’s Saurashtra region.

In Maharashtra, the coastal Ratnagiri district received heavy rain on Saturday. Capital Mumbai can expect showers from Sunday afternoon, the news agency reported, quoting Shubhani Bhute, senior director (weather) IMD, Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday reviewed the preparedness of states, central ministries and agencies regarding cyclone Tauktae. The high-level meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in which the PM asked the concerned authorities to take every possible measure to ensure that people are safely evacuated.

He also asked them to ensure that maintenance of all essential services such as power, telecommunications, health and drinking and their immediate restoration in the event of damages caused to them. 

Meanwhile, NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) teams are stationed in the states, which are or will be battered by the cyclone, to carry out rescue and relief operations, the spokesperson said. 

The Indian Navy is also carrying out relief and rescue operations in Kerala, which was battered by the cyclone, the spokesperson said.