High winds toppled trees in Mumbai [Source: EPA]
A cyclone, at its peak classified as “extremely severe”, has made landfall in India’s state of Gujarat with wind speeds of up to 160km/h (100mph).
Cyclone Tauktae travelled along India’s western coast, narrowly missing the city of Mumbai. At least 12 people were killed and 150,000 evacuated.
The navy has sent three warships to try to rescue hundreds of people stranded off the coast in two barges.
The cyclone comes amid a Covid-19 wave that has overwhelmed Indian hospitals.
Late on Monday local time, India’s meteorological department announced that the “extremely severe cyclonic storm” had begun to make landfall in Gujarat. It took several hours for the eye of the cyclone to come ashore.
The storm then weakened and was classified down as “very severe”, the weather bureau said on Tuesday morning.
