Indian state braces for Tauktae, ‘most severe’ cyclone in decades

Powerful cyclone roaring in Arabian Sea moves towards Gujarat as authorities evacuate hundreds of thousands of people.

Nearly 150,000 people have been moved from their homes in the Indian state of Gujarat to safety and authorities have closed ports and a main airport as the most intense cyclone in more than two decades roared up the west coast. Cyclone Tauktae has killed at least 12 people and left a trail of destruction as it brushed past the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, authorities said. It is set to make landfall in Gujarat late on Monday. “This will be the most severe cyclone to hit Gujarat in at least 20 years. This can be compared with the 1998 cyclone that hit Kandla and inflicted heavy damage,” state revenue secretary Pankaj Kumar told Reuters news agency.