Cyclone Tauktae makes landfall in India’s Gujarat

Cyclone Tauktae destroys buildings, uproots trees and electricity pylons, snaps wires and leads to floods.

A powerful cyclone has battered India’s west coast and made landfall in Gujarat after authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people. Dubbed an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” by the Indian Meteorological Department, the cyclone, named Tauktae, brought with it wind speeds of 160 to 170 kilometres per hour (99.4 -105.6 miles per hour) with gusts of up to 190 km/h (118 mph), storm surges and heavy rainfall. The cyclone destroyed buildings, uprooted trees and electricity pylons, snapped wires and led to waterlogging and floods in Gujarat as well as Maharashtra and the neighbouring territories of Daman and Diu.