In photos: Deadly Cyclone Tauktae leaves trail of destruction across India
18 May 2021
Tropical Cyclone Tauktae killed at least 16 people in India after making landfall in Gujarat Monday, packing 100mph winds, and sweeping across Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, per Reuters.
The big picture: The storm unleashed heavy rains and winds as authorities continued to grapple with surging infection rates and deaths from COVID-19. Over 200,000 people were evacuated from Gujarat, and ports, airports and vaccination centers shut in the state and Mumbai, Reuters reports. Tauktae weakened from a Category 3 storm into a "severe cyclonic storm" Tuesday morning local time.
Winds of Cyclone Tauktae from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) at 1:03 UTC, May 17, 2021. Winds as high as 81 knots (93 mph) were measured; JTWC and IMD rated Tauktae as stronger. See my post: https://t.co/QXhN03M4mNpic.twitter.com/m2CY5E0xS8
— Jeff Masters (@DrJeffMasters) May 17, 2021
Waves lash over onto a shoreline in Mumbai on May 17, as Cyclone Tauktae, bears down on India. Heavy rains and powerful winds destroyed homes, downed trees and caused power outages in several states, the BBC reports. Photo: Sujit Jaiswal/AFP via Getty Images
A truck loaded with oxygen cylinders gets stuck as trees fall due to the approaching cyclone near Mahuva, in Gujarat state, western India. Per meteorologist Jeff Masters, it's the fifth-strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea. Photo: Sam Panthaky/AFP via Getty Images
Trucks are stranded on a flooded highway near Diu, western India, on May 18. Photo: Punit Paranjpe/AFP via Getty Images
Rescue personnel evacuate a resident through a flooded street in a coastal area of Kochi, southwest India, after heavy rains from the cyclone on May 14. Photo: Arunchandra Bose/AFP via Getty Images