Biparjoy is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch.
Cyclone Biparjoy has been making its way across the Arabian Sea and is expected to first hit Gujarat today. Biparjoy is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch.
Over 74,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas to safer shelters.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Biparjoy is currently about 200 km off the coast of Gujarat and will make landfall between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port between 4-8 PM. The storm is likely to bring heavy rain and strong winds to the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat, as well as the adjoining Pakistan coast.
Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected.
United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi took to his Twitter account to post a few pictures of Cyclone Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea.
Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected.
Classified as a "very severe cyclonic storm" of category 3, Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to bring winds of up to 120-130 km per hour, the IMD said.
"VSCS Biparjoy over Northeast Arabian Sea at 0230 hours IST of 15th June 2023 about 200 km west-southwest of Jakhau Port (Gujarat). To cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port by the evening of 15th June as a VSVS," IMD said in its latest update on the cyclone.
The weather office added that the intensity of rain will increase as cyclone Biparjoy approaches the coast, with isolated places in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts likely to witness extremely heavy rainfall. The administration has shifted people from nearly 120 villages located between zero and 10 km from the seashore in the Kutch district.
The IMD has been providing regular updates about the cyclonic storm that is gushing through the Arabian Sea.
This will be the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after 'Tauktae' in May 2021.