Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa besides the lieutenant governor of Daman and Diu regarding preparation and response to deal with cylone Tauktae.
Cyclonic storm Tauktae over the Arabian Sea led to very strong winds blowing at a speed of 114 kmph in Mumbai, civic officials said.
On Monday, residents of Mumbai woke up witnessing gusty winds and heavy showers due to the cyclone. The city continued to be battered by heavy rains through the day.
State Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik said 193 COVID-19 patients admitted in a makeshift centre in Mumbai's Bandra-Kurla Complex had been shifted to other BMC-run hospitals due to the heavy rains that lashed the city.
The police have been asked to maintain close coordination with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation officials ward-wise to implement mitigation measures, an official told PTI.
"All police stations and posts have been asked to check communication equipment like wireless sets and public address systems to ensure they are working optimally. The same instructions have been given for vehicles and life-saving and rescue items like life jackets, first-aid kits, ropes, hammers, emergency lighting, stretchers etc," the official informed.
Over 12,000 citizens were relocated to safer places from Maharashtra's coastal areas. Those relocated include 8,380 people in Raigad, 3,896 in Ratnagiri, and 144 in Sindhudurg districts.
Two persons died in Maharashtra's Konkan region in separate incidents related to the severe the cyclonic storm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that Cyclone Tauktae has now intensified into an "extremely severe cyclonic storm".
It is likely to reach Gujarat coast by Monday evening and cross the state coast between 8 pm and 11 pm, the IMD said.
Modi had on Saturday reviewed the preparedness to deal with the cyclone's fallout in a high-level meeting which was attended by several ministries and agencies concerned.