Tauktae crossed the Gujarat coast as an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” around midnight and gradually weakened into a “severe cyclonic storm”, before further weakening to a “cyclonic storm”, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. Also Read| Cyclone Tauktae to weaken gradually in next few hours: IMDSeven fresh deaths took India’s toll to at least 27, including a child crushed by a collapsing wall, an 80-year-old woman killed by a falling pole and a teenage girl by a crumbling roof. The Indian Coast Guard on Tuesday said it rescued eight fishermen onboard a fishing boat that drifted into the sea off the coast of Veraval harbour in Gujarat due to the cyclone. Three barges and an oil rig with 707 personnel on board had gone adrift on Monday. Cyclone Tauktae impacted in 10 Maharashtra districts even though Ratnagiri, Raigad and Sindhudurg were worst hit.

Source: Hindustan Times May 19, 2021 01:30 UTC