[Watch] Cyclone Tauktae: Red Alert For Kerala Districts, Very Heavy Rain Warning For Maharashtra & Gujarat

New Delhi: A low pressure area over Lakshadweep and the Arabian Sea will gradually intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 16 (Sunday), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

The IMD also issued heavy rain warning for parts of Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat in view of the rapid intensification of Cyclone Tauktae.

Code red alert (extremely heavy rains) has been issued for five districts of Kerala — Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha and Ernakulam — on Friday.

“It (the cyclonic formation) is very likely to intensify into a deep depression during the next 12 hours and into a cyclonic storm (Cyclone Tauktae) during the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to intensify further. It is very likely to move initially north-northeastwards till today (Friday) evening. It would then move north-northwestwards and reach near Gujarat coast by the morning of May 18 (Tuesday),” an IMD statement said on Friday.