The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its morning report has said that the cyclonic storm Nisarga brewing up in the Arabian Sea is moving northwards at a speed of 11 kilometres per hour (kmph) and is currently 490 km south-southwest of Mumbai.

Vice President of Meteorology at Skymet Weather in a tweet said that citizens of Mumbai should brace for very heavy rains and gale-force winds. Crucial time is between Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon.

In its update, IMD has warned the wind speed will increase and become gale wind, with speeds reaching to 80 kmph, over the east-central Arabian Sea off south Maharashtra and Goa coasts during next six hours. It will further blow up to 110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph over east-central and adjoining northeast the Arabian Sea along Raigad, Mumbai, Palghar, Thane coast from Wednesday morning.

The IMD report added that it is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and further into a severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 12 hours. It is very likely to move nearly northwards during next six hours and recurve north-northeastwards thereafter and cross north Maharashtra and adjoining south Gujarat coast between Harihareshwar in Raigad, Maharashtra and Daman during Wednesday afternoon.

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