Nearly 1 lakh people along the coast of Maharashtra have been shifted to safer areas ahead of cyclone Nisarga making landfall later today. Flights and trains to and from Mumbai have also been cancelled or rescheduled as the city braces for its first cyclone in over 100 years.

The cyclonic storm over Eastcentral Arabian Sea moved north-northeastwards with a speed of about 14 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred about 165 km south-southwest of Alibaug (Maharashtra), 215 km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 440 km south-southwest of Surat (Gujarat) at 5:30 am, according to India Meteorological Department

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross north Maharashtra close to south of Alibaug (Raigad District, Maharashtra) in the afternoon of today as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph.

After the landfall the Severe Cyclonic Storm is very likely to maintain its Cyclonic Storm intensity for about 6 hours, while moving north-northeastwards across north Madhya Maharashtra. Under its influence Gale wind reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph very likely to prevail over Pune, Ahmadnagar and 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph adjoining Beed, Nashik & Aurangabad districts of Maharashtra. Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places are also very likely over these districts today.