More than 150,000 people have been moved from the path of a powerful cyclone that is due to make landfall in India and Pakistan on Thursday.
Cyclone Biparjoy, which means “disaster” in Bengali, is expected to devastate houses and crops in its path, according to forecasters.
Biparjoy is anticipated to make its maiden appearance in India’s Gujarat state on Thursday evening, local time.
Heavy rains, high tides, and stormy waves were seen from the state’s shore.
The storm is scheduled to make landfall between 16:00 [10.30 GMT] and 20:00 local time near the Jakhau port between Mandvi in Gujarat and Keti Bandar in Pakistan’s Sindh province.
Storm surges as high as 3-4m (10-13ft) were predicted along Pakistan’s coastline from Karachi to India’s Gujarat.
According to Gujarat’s Relief Commissioner Alok Pandey, the cyclone’s speed has decreased, but its winds were projected to reach about 110-12 km/h at the time of impact, which he described as “very dangerous.”
The Indian Meteorological Department has warned that the cyclone may cause damage to roads, thatched dwellings, electrical towers, and trees along Gujarat’s coast.
Rushikesh Patel, the state’s health minister, advised residents to remain inside and avoid travel. “Our goal is to have no casualties,” he stated.
This week’s severe rains in India claimed the lives of at least seven people.
Two children were crushed by a crumbling wall, while a lady on a motorbike was injured by a falling tree, according to the AFP news agency.
The storm is likely to hit the coast of Sindh province in Pakistan. Authorities have already evacuated 81,000 people from the south-eastern shore, and 75 relief camps have been established in schools.
Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s climate change minister, stated that while Karachi, the province’s largest metropolis with a population of more than 20 million, was not under immediate threat, emergency steps were being implemented.
Meteorologists have warned that high tides might inundate low-lying coastal regions.
Since Wednesday, some areas of coastal Gujarat have seen torrential rainfall and high-speed winds.
Strong gusts and choppy seas were recorded at Mandvi on Thursday morning.
The normally lively Jakhau Port appeared desolate since the whole hamlet around the beach had been moved.
According to Gujarat state officials, 67,000 people have been evacuated from coastal locations.
Several railway services in Gujarat have been discontinued, and the ports of Kandla and Mundra, two of India’s largest, have ceased operations, according to officials.
Fishing has been suspended throughout the Gujarat coast, while fishermen in Pakistan’s coastline region have been advised to avoid the ocean.
Six national disaster relief teams have been sent for relief operations in crucial districts of Gujarat’s Kutch region. Depending on the severity of the storm, they will prioritize ensuring that vital services stay undamaged or are restored as quickly as possible.
Biparjoy is expected to “fall in intensity” after crossing, according to the India Meteorological Department.
In the Indian Ocean, cyclones, also known as hurricanes in typhoons in the Northwest Pacific and North Atlantic, are a common and devastating occurrence. Rising surface temperatures over the Arabian Sea in recent years have rendered the surrounding regions even more vulnerable to severe storms as a result of climate change.
The most recent severe storm to hit the same region was Storm Tauktae in May 2021. It claimed the lives of 174 individuals.
The evacuations for Biparjoy have brought up dark memories of another storm that devastated the Gujarat coast 25 years ago, leaving a path of death and damage. Official numbers put the death toll at about 4,000, but locals think the amount is significantly higher.
