Maharashtra: Cyclone Nisarga makes landfall, 1 dies

According to reports, one person died as an electric pole fell on him at Umte village in Alibag.

With wind speeds slowing down, Mumbai seems to have been saved from the severe cyclonic storm.

“One death has been reported from Alibag. A 58-year-old man died after an electric pole fell on him at Umte village in Alibag. No other death has been reported so far across the district,” District Collector, Raigad, Nidhi Choudhary, was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

Several trees have been uprooted and even electricity poles were brought down by the cyclone in Raigad.
According to officials, 85 large trees, some of which fell over houses, and 11 electric poles were ripped out as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said its teams will assess the damage once the cyclonic storm completes landfall, reports Hindustan Times.

In its bulletin, the Ministry of Earth Science said: "The Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘NISARGA’ over Eastcentral Arabian Sea moved northeastwards with a speed of about 23 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed Maharashtra coast close to south of Alibagh with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph between 1230-1430 hrs IST of today, the 03rd June."

"It lay centred at 1430 hours IST of today the 03rd June, 2020 over coastal Maharashtra, near latitude 18.5°N and longitude 73.2°E, close to east-southeast of Alibagh (Maharashtra), 75 km southeast of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 65 km west of Pune (Maharashtra)," it said.

The Ministry said the cyclone is very likely to move northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm during next 06 hours.
 
This was the second cyclone to hit India in two weeks.
Triggering massive damage in West Bengal and its state capital Kolkata, Cyclone Amphan hit the region on May 20.
Nisarga hit Maharashtra at a time when the state is combating COVID-19 outbreak.