Cyclone Biparjoy – live: Two dead and nearly 1000 villages without power as storm weakens

Eye of the cyclone, churning across the Arabian Sea for more than 10 days, was located around 20km southwest of Indian port

High tide and strong winds witnessed as ‘Biparjoy’ approaches India coast

A man and his son died in India’s Gujarat state as they attempted to save their livestock in the region hit by cyclone Biparjoy, officials said today.

The longest cyclone to have struck the Arabian Sea, Biparjoy knocked out power in nearly 1000 villages and threw shipping containers into the sea in western India before moving to Pakistan where lashing winds and rain are expected to strike a part struck by devastating floods last year.

The storm made landfall a night earlier, packing windspeeds of 85 kph (53 mph), gusting up to 105 kph (86 mph) through the coastal regions of western India’s Gujarat state. Pakistani authorities were on high alert after evacuating 82,000 people.

The eye of the cyclone, which was churning across the Arabian Sea for more than 10 days, was located around 20km southwest of Jakhau port, 120km northwest of Devbhumi Dwarka and 50 km west-southwest of Naliya, reported Press Trust of India.

Recent studies show cyclones in the Arabian Sea are getting stronger and wetter as the sea surface temperature increased by 1.2C to 1.4C in recent decades.

Key Points

• Cyclone Biparjoy’s landfall completed after midnight along Indian coast
• Cyclone Biparjoy lashes Indian coast, weakens into cyclonic storm
• Over 180,000 people evacuated ahead of cyclone Biparjoy landfall
• Cyclone Biparjoy track: Map shows path of storm
• Flooding may damage homes and power lines, experts warn
• What is a Cyclone and how is it affected by rising sea temperatures?

[15 June 2023 06:01 · Stuti Mishra]

How far is cyclone Biparjoy from India and Pakistan?

Tropical cyclone Biparjoy is now just a few hours away from the coast of India and Pakistan and has already brought high tides, heavy rains and gusts of winds to the South Asian countries.

The severe cyclonic storm was last spotted just 180km from the Jakhau port of India’s Gujarat province this morning and 270km off Karachi in Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The storm, which has lost some intensity in the last 24 hours, is set to make a landfall this evening around 5.30pm at the port, according to the IMD.

It is moving with a maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125kph gusting to 140 kph, down from the 150kph that the IMD had estimated yesterday.

Coastal road workers walk as waves hit the city's waterfront during high tide in the Arabian Sea at Marine Drive in Mumbai (AP)

[15 June 2023 06:30 · Stuti Mishra]

When will cyclone Biparjoy make landfall in India?

Cyclone Biparjoy is forecasted to make landfall around 5.30pm local time in India's Jakhau port in the Kutch region of Gujarat province.

While the storm has lost some intensity ahead of its landfall, it is still a “very severe cyclonic storm” with a sustained wind speed of 125 to 135kph.

On the path of the storm lies India’s key ports and coastal infrastructure in Gujarat and the densely populated city of Karachi in Pakistan.

Its impact, however, is felt as far away as Mumbai which has been witnessing terrifyingly high tides with three deaths reported by drowning.

People stand near the coast during high tide in Mandvi, in the Kutch district of the western state of Gujarat, India (EPA)

[15 June 2023 07:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Over 100,000 people evacuated ahead of cyclone Biparjoy landfall

India and Pakistan have evacuated over 100,000 people as cyclone Biparjoy is set to make landfall later today.

The cyclone has already brought high tides, heavy winds and heavy rains to both countries, posing danger to coastal regions.

Four deaths have already been reported in India, included three boys from Mumbai who drowned in water and a woman in Gujarat who met an accident due to heavy winds.

Communities living within 5-10kms of the coast were moved to higher lands in Gujarat, officials say.

“Over 47,000 people have been evacuated from coastal and low-lying areas to shelter,” said C C Patel, an official in charge of relief operations in Gujarat.

Pakistan’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, said yesterday that 62,000 people had been evacuated from the country’s south-eastern coast, with 75 relief camps set up at schools and colleges.

People evacuated from a village near Jakhau ahead of cyclone Biparjoy arrive at a shelter at Naliya in Kutch district of the Western Indian state of Gujarat (AP)

Residents evacuate from a coastal area of Keti Bandar before the due onset of cyclone Biparjoy, in Thatta district of Pakistan’s Sindh (AFP via Getty Images)

[15 June 2023 07:30 · Stuti Mishra]

Satellite footage shows cyclone Biparjoy whirling towards India and Pakistan

Footage from the Meteosat-9 satellite shows cyclone Biparjoy inching closer to the South Asian countries.

[15 June 2023 08:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Watch: High tide and strong winds witnessed as ‘Biparjoy’ approaches India coast

[15 June 2023 08:23 · Stuti Mishra]

Watch: Thousands of people evacuated in India ahead of cyclone Biparjoy

Over 47,000 people evacuated from the coastal and low-lying areas in India’s Gujarat ahead of Cyclone Biparjoy.

[15 June 2023 08:40 · Stuti Mishra]

Astronaut captures formation of cyclone Biparjoy from space

Stunning footage captured and shared by astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi from space shows the formation of cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea last week.

[15 June 2023 09:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Watch: Heavy rains lash Gujarat's coastal towns as cyclone Biparjoy inches closer

Video shared by Indian news agency ANI shows heavy rains lashing Gujarat's Morbi town as cyclone Biparjoy comes closer.

The very severe cyclone was just 170kms from the Jakhua Port in the province this morning. The cyclone is expected to make landfall by 5.30pm with weather department warnings for more severe rains ahead.

[15 June 2023 09:24 · Stuti Mishra]

Videos show devastating winds in Gujarat

Videos posted by residents on social media show devastating winds hitting the Gujarat province where cyclone Biparjoy is set to make landfall this evening.

A footage from Okha town of Dev Bhoomi Dwarka district shared on Twitter shows a massive tree uprooted as gusts of winds cause reduced visibility.

Another video shows a tin roof flying over amid gusts with wind gales heard in the background.

Earlier video showed high tides almost entirely submerging a bridge in Gujarat.

[15 June 2023 09:40 · Stuti Mishra]

Cyclone Biparjoy track: Map shows path of storm

Cyclone Bipayjoy is now less than 170kms away from the coast of India and Pakistan as the countries brace for landfall today.

This map from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) shows the last spotted location of the very severe cyclonic storm this morning.

It is expected to reach India's Jakhau port by 5.30pm local time with a maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125kph gusting to 140 kph.

Map of cyclone Biparjoy’s path shared by IMD (IMD)