Cyclone Biparjoy: 8 states on alert as Cyclone Biparjoy to make maximum impact today; IMD issues red alert for Saurashtra, Kutch

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a red alert for the Saurashtra, Dwarka and Kutch coasts in Gujarat in view of the very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy.

The cyclonic storm is expected to cause massive damage today and a heavy rainfall warning has been sounded for several states.

The cyclone is expected to move nearly north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by Thursday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 km per hour gusting to 150 km per hour.

Cyclone Biporjoy is expected to cross near Porbandar and Dwarka coasts of Gujarat today.

Cyclone Biparjoy has turned from extreme to a ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm and will cross the Jakhau Port in Gujarat by Thursday evening, the IMD said.

“Cyclone Warning for Saurashtra & Kutch Coasts: Orange Message. VSCS BIPARJOY at 2330 IST of 13th June over NE Arabian Sea near lat 21.7N & long 66.3E, about 300km WSW of Devbhumi Dwarka. To cross near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by evening of 15th June as VSCS,” the weather office said in its latest tweet.

Multiple government agencies are engaged in a feverish evacuation operation in the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch, anticipating the catastrophic effects of cyclone Biparjoy. The cyclone is expected to cause damage in Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagarh and Rajkot districts of Gujarat tomorrow. High tide waves also hit Mumbai as cyclone ‘Biporjoy’ intensified.

Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau port in the Kutch district on Thursday afternoon with winds gusting up to 150 kmph. It will be the third cyclone to make landfall in Gujarat in June since 1965.

After it makes landfall and weakens, Biparjoy is likely to remain north-eastward and is expected to move towards extreme south Rajasthan. It is expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain in north Gujarat between June 15-17. A bustling shipping hub, the Jakhau port on Tuesday looked like a haunted jetty following the evacuation of its entire human population.

SCHOOLS SHUT IN GUJARAT

Ahead of Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch regions and adjoining Pakistan coasts, schools have been shut for two days in Kutch, Porbandar, Amreli, Gir Somnath, Dwarka- the five most-affected districts in Gujarat. Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel will visit the emergency service control room at 10 am on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.

The cabinet meeting of the Gujarat government which was scheduled to take place today has been called off and all the ministers have been asked to remain in their respective constituencies.

17 NDRF TEAMS ON ALERT, RED ALERT IN 2 DISTRICTS
As many as 17 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 12 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are on alert mode in Gujarat, out of which four teams have been deployed in Kutch, 3 in Dwarka and Rajkot, 2 in Jamnagar and 1 in Porbandar. The Met department said total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kutcha houses are expected in Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagarh and Rajkot districts.

The very severe cyclonic storm can uproot power and communication poles in these areas and disrupt railways and damage standing crops, plantations and orchards.

Around 95 trains running through, originating or terminating in coastal areas of Gujarat will remain cancelled or short-terminated till June 15, according to Western Railway.

The weather department has predicted a total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kutcha houses during the period. Some damage could be caused to pucca houses too.

The rough weather conditions can also result in bending and uprooting of trees and communication polls, cause major damage to kutcha and pucca roads, and flood escape routes. Widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, falling of green coconuts, tearing of palm fronds, and blowing down of bushy trees like mango are also expected.

RAINFALL PREDICTION FOR 8 STATES
The weather office has sounded an alert for Gujarat, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Daman Diu, Lakshadweep, Dadar and Nagarajun Haveli.

The cyclone system is expected to bring light to moderate rainfall today at most places in the coastal areas of Gujarat with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places. The rainfall intensity would increase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar on June 15.