The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Sunday released a list of do’s and don’ts to practice ahead and during the cyclone Tauktae that is expected to hit the Gujarat coast on Tuesday (May 18) morning. The cyclone intensified into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm‘ early on Sunday and is expected to batter six states: Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.

Also read: NDRF prepares 100 rescue teams with 4,700 members for Cyclone Tauktae

“Ignore rumours, stay calm, don’t panic,” the NDMA advised people. 

Among the do’s and don’ts to practice ahead of the cyclone, the agency advised people to keep their mobile phones charged, keep documents and valuables in waterproof containers, prepare an emergency kit, don’t leave sharp objects on loose in the house and untie animals to ensure their safety.

During the cyclone, the NDMA has told people to switch off electrical mains and gas supplies, keep doors and windows shut, drink boiled and chlorinated water, among others.

Also read: Explained: How cyclones are named

Cyclone Tauktae is the first cyclone this year to hit India. It comes at a time when the country is battered by an aggressive second wave of COVID-19, in which hundreds of thousands have perished and the health sector has been severely crippled.