Cyclone Nisarga wall cloud passes through Maharashtra's Raigad, landfall to commence in one hour: IMD

The right side of the wall cloud region passes through coastal Maharashtra covering the Raigad district on Wednesday, in the wake of gradual entry into Mumbai and Thane in the next three hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

IMD also shared satellite images of the wall cloud moving across the sky across Maharashtra.

"The right side of the wall cloud region passes through coastal Maharashtra covering mainly Raigad district. It will gradually enter into Mumbai and Thane district during the next 3 hours. Landfall will commence in 1 hour and the process will be completed during the next 3 hours," read the IMD tweet.

A wall cloud is a large and lowered cloud that often leads to tornadoes and cyclones.

The IMD had earlier predicted that cyclone Nisarga will make landfall between 1 pm to 4 pm today at the northern coast of Maharashtra.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), along with the local authorities, have been conducting evacuation operations since Wednesday morning. Several schools have been turned into temporary shelters.

"A total of 13,541 people have been evacuated to safer places in the district," said Nidhi Chaudhary, Raigad Collector.

Several NDRF teams have been deployed across the state to facilitate the evacuation operations. 

-ANI

Also Read: Cyclone Nisarga to make landfall on north coast of Maharashtra today between 1 pm to 4 pm: IMD