Cyclone Ockhi has terrorized the people living in the coastal areas. Here are the current updates on the news.
Cyclone Ockhi, after causing significant damage in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, is likely to weaken in the next couple of days, sources at the Regional Specialized Meteorological Center said. An IMD forecast said the scale of Cyclone Ockhi has been reduced from ‘very severe’ to ‘severe’ for Monday. The cyclone is reportedly on a north-western course, drifting towards the Indian coastlines of Maharashtra and Gujarat at a speed of seventeen kilometers per hour.
Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday reviewed the search-and-rescue operations undertaken after Cyclone Ockhi, and will visit more affected areas in Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Monday, officials said.
Figures collated by the Defense Ministry on Sunday said the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, and Indian Air Force have so far rescued 357 persons.
After arriving in Kanyakumari and holding a review meeting with officials, the Minister visited villages in the nearby areas where she interacted with the local fishermen. She also met Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam.
On Monday, the Defense Minister will undertake a road journey from Kanyakumari to the Kerala capital Thiruvananthapuram and visit cyclone-affected areas and meet locals on the way, Ministry officials said.
Since November 30, the defense forces have rescued 71 persons, mostly fishermen, from Tamil Nadu, 250 from Kerala and around 38 from Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands, as per the Ministry figures.
Till Sunday morning, around 89 boats with 1,154 fishermen, mostly from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, have taken shelter in various parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa, and Lakshadweep, a Ministry tweet said.
The cyclone has claimed 10 lives so far while 115 people are reported missing.
“An update on the search and rescue efforts being done by the Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force to save the lives of fishermen affected by #CycloneOckhi: 357 fishermen have been saved as of 10 am today,” Nirmala Sitharaman said in her official Twitter handle.
Here are the updates:
9.45 pm: Death toll in rain-related incidents in Kerala rise to 19, over 600 fishermen, stranded at sea off state’s coast rescued: Official sources.
9.15 pm: A fresh spell of rainfall is expected to lash Tamil Nadu as the well-marked low pressure area over the south Andaman Sea is likely to turn into a depression in the next 24 hours and a deep depression in the subsequent 48 hours.
8.15 pm: Indian Meteorological Observatory has asked fishermen not to venture in the sea, it also said those already in deep ocean to return to the jetties.
8.10 pm: High tides reportedly due to the Cyclone Ockhi inundated several beach stretches in Goa, hotel owners said.
7.30 pm: Rescue operation underway in Trivandrum.
7.05 pm: A total of 690 people have been rescued so far. Total number of deaths 19, 96 missing, 63 hospitalized, 74 houses fully damaged, 1,122 houses partially damaged: State Revenue control room Tamil Nadu.
6.50 pm: A total of 357 fishermen, including 71 from Tamil Nadu, stranded at sea due to Cyclone Ockhi, rescued by defense force personnel as of this morning: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
6.25 pm: Deputy CM O Panneerselvam visits cyclone-affected areas in Kanyakumari
6.15 pm: Cyclone Ockhi is likely to weaken, make landfall in Gujarat, Maharashtra in next 48 hours, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis tweeted on Sunday.
6.05 pm: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman reaches Kanyakumari to take stock of the situation. (Source: Tweeted by Spokesperson, Ministry of Defence)
5.55 pm: Cyclone Ockhi likely to lash Saurashtra coast in the next 48 hours, all fishermen are warned to not venture out & those already out to be contacted immediately to return: Collector Gir Somnath district of Gujarat.
5.40 pm: Graphic representation of deployment of Naval ships & aircraft in areas off Kerala coast.
5.15 pm: Relief material being offloaded by boats for Minicoy, Lakshadweep.
4.45 pm: We have rescued 25 people from Lakshadweep and picked 13 people off Kerala coast. Navy continues to conduct a massive search operation with 8-10 ships off Kerala coast: Commodore G Prakash, Commanding Officer of INS Venduruthy in Kochi.
4.00 pm: 19 fishermen rescued by Indian Coast Guard brought to Chellanam harbour in Kerala.
3.45 pm: CMO Maharashtra issues an update on the missing fishermen.
3.10 pm: MoS for Tourism KJ Alphonse held a meeting with Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and other cabinet colleagues earlier in the day to discuss the rescue and rehabilitation operations.
3.05 pm: “There is no provision to declare Cyclone Ockhi as a national calamity. The Centre will provide funds. If needed, more funds will be allocated,” said Minister of State for Tourism KJ Alphons.
2:35 pm: The services of Nilgiris Mountain Rail were cancelled for the third day following landslips on the track near Hillgrove station following incessant rains for the last five days.
2:15 pm: Moderate rain is expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry during next 24 hours. Fishermen are asked not to venture into deep sea of north Tamil Nadu & South Andhra coast till December 25: S Balachandran, Chennai MET department.
12:30 pm: Cyclone Ockhi to hit Maharashtra on December 4.
11:30 am: The cyclone further moved towards north-west with a speed of 17 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 9:30 pm on Sunday over east central and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea- about 420 km west-northwest of Amini Divi, 880 km southwest of Mumbai and 1090 km south-southwest of Surat, informed Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC)
10:30 am: Sea conditions would be ‘rough’ to ‘very rough’ along and off north Maharashtra and South Gujarat
coasts on 4th night and December 5.
10:10 am: Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along & off South Gujarat and north Maharashtra coasts from the night of December 4 for subsequent 48 hours.
10:00 am: Fishermen around Lakshadweep Islands are advised not to venture into the sea during next 24 hours.
9:50 am: The cyclone is drifting towards South Eastern Arabian Sea at 14 kmph. Expected to recurve and head towards Gujarat and Maharashtra.
9:46 am: Rainfall at many places with heavy rainfall at isolated places is very likely over south Gujarat on December 5.
9:44 am: The intensity of the cyclone is likely to weaken on Monday and subsequently on Tuesday.
9:40 am: “Cyclone Ockhi is very likely to move north-northwestwards during next 1 hours and then recurve northeastwards during the subsequent 48 hours and weaken gradually,” read the RSMC press release.
8:30 am: Rainfall at most places with heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over north Lakshadweep Islands during next 12 hours.
05.30 am: The cyclone which is scaled as ‘very severe’ presently, was reported to have maximum sustained surface wind speed reaching up to 180 kmph in the early hours of Sunday.
As of now, Nirmala Sitharaman is in Thiruvananthapuram. She emphasized that now was the time to work together and not to create confusion and chaos.
Currently, 85 people are still to be found.
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