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 14:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Cyclone Biparjoy 'strongest storm on record in North Indian Ocean'

Cyclone Biparjoy has set a new record for the highest Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean basic, Scientist Matthew Cuyugan tweeted.

The Accumulated Cyclone Energy (ACE) refers to a measure of a storm’s strength, frequency, and duration.Cyclone Biparjoy’s ACE value stood at 24.7775, surpassing the previous record set by Cyclone Kyarr in 2019.

It is also expected to become the first storm in the region to reach an ACE value of 25.

The cyclone is making a landfall tonight in Gujatat Jakhua port and it is classified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm on the Indian scale or a high-end Tropical Storm on the US scale.

[15 June 2023 14:27 · Stuti Mishra]

Landfall process of cyclone Biparjoy starts

The landfall process of cyclone Biparjoy has started at the western coast of India, the country’s meteorological department has announced.

The cyclone is making landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district.

The process will take until midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It will be crossing Saurashtra and Kutch regions and adjoining Pakistan coasts close to Karachi in Pakistan by tonight.

High tide in Mandvi, in the Kutch district of the western state of Gujarat (EPA)

[15 June 2023 15:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Flooding in Gujarat due to cyclone Biparjoy

Rain was falling and skies were darkening in western India and southern Pakistan along the Arabian Sea, where dusty storms were hampering the evacuation and rescue work as cyclone Biparjoy began its landfall.

Authorities expect conditions to worsen for two or three days after the cyclone makes landfall, imminently, at India’s Gujarat.

A man rides a motorcycle through a waterlogged street in Mandvi before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in the western state of Gujarat, India (REUTERS)

Cows take shelter from rain under the roof of closed shops in Mandvi, Gujarat (EPA)

[15 June 2023 15:30 · Stuti Mishra]

In Pictures: Darkened skies and dusty storms before cyclone Biparjoy’s landfall

A general view of heavy rain at Jakhau ahead of landfall of Biparjoy (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A dog walks at a deserted beach ahead of cyclone Biparjoy’s landfall at Mandvi in Kutch district of Gujarat state (AP)

Western states of India on high alert in wake of cyclone Biparjoy (EPA)

[15 June 2023 15:58 · Jane Dalton]

Tidal waves could flood low-lying areas

India’s met department says the cyclone could cause tidal waves in the Arabian Sea as high as 2m to 3m (7ft to 10ft) that could inundate low-lying coastal areas in India and Pakistan.

Dust storms have already hampered evacuation and rescue work as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall.

A vast swath of western India and neighbouring southern Pakistan are braced for flash floods, heavy rain and high winds.

Rain pelted the shores and skies darkened along the Arabian Sea.

Biparjoy is expected to reach wind speeds gusting up to 140kmph (86mph) before slowing down in India’s Gujarat province.

[15 June 2023 16:25 · Jane Dalton]

High winds and heavy rain have hit India’s western state of Gujarat, and could reach India’s largest city, Mumbai, and Karachi in Pakistan, to the north.

(Google Maps)

[15 June 2023 16:37 · Jane Dalton]

Flooding may damage homes and power lines, experts warn

Indian forecasters are warning of rainfall heavy enough to damage homes, power lines and crops.

“We won’t be surprised if some areas record more than 25cm of rainfall,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of meteorology at the India Meteorological Department said.

“Usually, they do not receive such intense precipitation at this time of the year. Therefore, there is a risk of flooding in the low-lying areas.”

The forecasters have warned of very heavy (11.5cm - 20.4cm) to extremely heavy rainfall (over 20.5cm) in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and other areas on path of the cyclone.

It also said the rain could cause extensive damage to standing crops, houses, roads, electricity and communication poles, and flooding of escape routes.

Gujarat’s coasts are witnessing waves 10 to 14 metres high.

[15 June 2023 19:20 · Jane Dalton]

Winds and rain lash coasts

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall on India’s Gujarat coast near the Pakistan border, the India weather office said, as strong winds and heavy rain lashed coastal areas of the two countries.

“Landfall process is continuing and by midnight it will be completely over the land. Part of the eye (of the cyclone) is over the land,” the Meteorological Department said.

[15 June 2023 19:23 · Jane Dalton]

Bazaars and beaches deserted and trees uprooted

In India‘s Kutch district, near to where the cyclone made landfall, authorities are expecting significant flooding.

In Pakistan, Keti Bandar in the country’s flood-ravaged southern Sindh province, also lies in Biparjoy’s path.

The bazaars and beaches in Mandvi, India, usually a bustling coastal town known for its wooden boat-makers, were deserted under government shutdown orders.

Heavy winds and rains uprooted some trees in the area. Local media reported that a pregnant woman was brought from an island to shore and admitted to a hospital.

Amid dust storms and rain, displaced families were visibly shocked at relief camps in southern Pakistan. One evacuee, 82-year-old Bachai Bibi, said: “I don’t know what will happen to my home.”

Mohammad Ashraf, 35, said local officials helped him, his wife and three children escape from the Pakistani village of Sheikh in the storm zone.

[15 June 2023 19:41 · Jane Dalton]

Winds cause power cuts

Parts of Gujarat were in darkness as power went out after electricity poles fell and trees were uprooted by high winds.

Television footage showed high waves crashing on the shores of many coastal areas, as winds bent tall trees and displaced structures.

In the coastal town of Mandvi, a witness said strong winds had uprooted trees and caused waterlogging. Other districts in the state also reported fallen trees and moderate rain.