Two airlines have warned of flights getting affected due to Cyclone Tauktae (pronounced Tau'te), which turned into a very severe cyclonic storm early on Sunday and is approaching the Gujarat coast. The cyclone has caused heavy rains in many parts of Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa. While Vistara said that flight operations to and from eight airports will be affected, IndiGo took to Twitter to share that operations at Goa, Belagavi, Hubli and Kolhapur have been impacted. The flight operations are likely to be affected till May 17, the airline carriers said.
“Due to the adverse weather conditions expected over the Arabian sea, flights to and from Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Goa and Ahmedabad are likely to be impacted till 17th May'21. Please visit airvistara.com or SMS UK<Flight no.> to 9289228888 to check updated flight status,” Vistara said. IndiGo tweeted, “#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to bad weather (Cyclone Tauktae), flights to/from #Goa #Belagavi #Hubli and #Kolhapur are impacted. Please visit Plan B https://bit.ly/36u4Mh9 to opt for alternate options or get a refund.”
IndiGo had earlier said operations at Kannur airport in Kerala have been impacted. “Due to Cyclone Tauktae, flights to/from #Kannur are impacted. You may visit Plan B https://bit.ly/2PTGKWM to opt for alternate options or get a refund. You may check flight status here - http://bit.ly/2QCfBUK.”
The cyclone, which is over east-central Arabian sea and is approaching the Gujarat coast, is likely to cross the coast between Porbandar and Mahuva (Bhavnagar district) around early morning on May 18, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. Heavy rains and gusty winds have already been reported in parts of Kerala and Karnataka and the IMD has also issued a yellow alert for the coasts of Gujarat and Diu and Daman.
#TravelAdvisory pic.twitter.com/tsDOirYLM8
— Vistara (@airvistara) May 15, 2021
#6ETravelAdvisory: Due to bad weather (Cyclone Tauktae), flights to/from #Goa #Belagavi #Hubli and #Kolhapur are impacted. Please visit Plan B https://t.co/xe8o6L7grT to opt for alternate options or get a refund.
— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) May 16, 2021
Kerala is expected to witness light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on May 16, Sunday and heavy falls at isolated places on May 17, Monday. Karnataka (coastal and adjoining Ghat districts) will see light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on May 16. In Konkan and Goa, light to moderate rainfall is predicted at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places over Konkan and Goa and adjoining Ghat areas on May 16 and heavy falls at isolated places on May 17 over north Konkan areas. The IMD has issued an ‘orange alert' which means heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely all over Konkan and the hilly areas of western Maharashtra, mainly Kolhapur and Satara on Sunday and Monday.
Four people have died in Karnataka, two have died in Kerala and many have been displaced after Cyclone Tauktae caused heavy rains and gusty winds in parts of the two states. Widespread heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was reported in coastal and Malnad districts of Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru.
The Kerala government had issued a red warning for five districts and according to the Meteorological Department, the average rainfall in Kerala in the last two days alone has been 145.5 mm. The state government has opened 71 relief camps, housing 2,094 people from 543 families. The Kerala government also opened the shutters of 13 dams across Kerala as of May 15 and on Saturday morning, the shutters of a few more have been opened to release excess water.