Biparjoy’s accumulated energy is the highest in the pre-monsoon season in the north Indian Ocean since 1982
Two people have died and another 22 were injured as cyclone Biparjoy commenced landfall near the Jakhau port, Gujarat around 6.30 pm on June 15, 20203.
The landfall happened after the cyclone moved across the Arabian Sea for over 10 days and made landfall with wind speeds between 115-125 kilometres per hour (kmph) gusting to 140 kmph.
Although it lost a bit of its wind speed and intensity after the landfall, Biparjoy still managed to wreak havoc in Gujarat, uprooting trees, and damaging several vehicles and houses.
Classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm”, cyclone Biparjoy’s accumulated energy is the highest in the pre-monsoon season in the north Indian Ocean since 1982. The cyclone rapidly intensified twice in its lifetime.
It is also the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after ‘Tauktae’ in May 2022.
According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone has now moved from sea to land and is centred towards Saurashtra-Kutch. It has also now been reduced from the ‘very severe’ category to ‘severe’.
In addition to the two deaths, the cyclone also managed to injure 22 people and caused a massive power outage in around 940 villages in Kutch. About 100,000 people were evacuated in the western state after weather officials issued a red alert warning.
The cyclone is now moving towards Rajasthan on June 16, causing heavy rainfall in different parts of Rajasthan. The IMD predicts the cyclonic storm to turn into a deep depression around June 16 evening.
In Pakistan, the meteorological department warned of widespread dust storms and thunderstorms in the southern Sindh province, with some very heavy rain and squally winds of 50-60 mph.
Six teams of NDRF have been deployed for relief and rescue operations in cyclone-affected areas in the Kutch district. Fishermen have been advised to steer clear of the sea and hospitals are staffed with emergency personnel, according to the National Disaster Management Authority.
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