Cyclone Nisarga which hit Maharashtra with heavy rain and wind speeds of over 100 kmph on Wednesday afternoon has also affected flights in the area. Amid heavy rainfall and strong winds, the Mumbai airport has temporarily halted flight services.
From 2:30 PM to 7 PM on Wednesday no flights would take off or land at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, officials said.
"The airport witnessed a runway excursion earlier today with Fed Ex flight 5033 arriving from Bengaluru. The aircraft was towed away from the runway, no disruption caused," news agency ANI quoted the Airport's PRO to add.
Several flights had already been cancelled in light of the cyclone.
As The Free Press Journal's Priyanka Navalkar had earlier reported, the GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited authorities had opted to operate a total of 19 flights which includes 11 departures and 8 arrivals on Wednesday.
Cyclone Nisarga made landfall in Maharashtra on Wednesday afternoon near Alibaug. There have been reports of damage to houses, and in several areas trees have fallen. The worst however might be behind us.
As Skymet Weather's Vice president Meteorology and Climate Change, Mahesh Palawat put it, while rains would continue until tonight, the threat to Mumbai was almost over.
"Rains to continue until tonight but winds will not exceed 50 kmph," he had said.
