In a race against time, over 150,000 individuals in India and Pakistan have been evacuated as Cyclone Biparjoy, meaning "disaster" in Bengali, threatens their coastal regions. Meteorologists
have warned that this fierce cyclone could cause extensive damage to homes and crops along its path.
The cyclone is projected to make initial landfall on Thursday evening, local time, in India's Gujarat state. Reports from the state's coast already show heavy rainfall, high tides, and turbulent seas, underscoring the severity of the approaching storm.
Biparjoy is expected to hit the region near the Jakhau port, situated between Mandvi in Gujarat and Keti Bandar in Pakistan's Sindh province, between 16:00 and 20:00 local time.
Pakistan's disaster management agency has cautioned about storm surges reaching as high as 3-4 meters (10-13 feet) along the coastline from Karachi to Gujarat in India. Alok Pandey, Gujarat's Relief Commissioner, stated that although the cyclone's speed has reduced, its winds are anticipated to reach dangerous speeds of around 110-120 km/h (68-75 mph) at the time of landfall.
India's weather office has issued warnings about potential damage to roads, thatched houses, and infrastructure such as electricity towers and trees along Gujarat's coast. Rushikesh Patel, Gujarat's health minister, has urged people to stay in safe locations and avoid traveling, emphasizing the priority of achieving zero casualties.
Tragically, heavy rains in India this week have already claimed at least seven lives. Among the victims were two children crushed by a collapsing wall and a woman struck by a falling tree while riding a motorcycle.
In Pakistan, the cyclone is expected to impact the coast of Sindh province. Authorities have evacuated approximately 81,000 people from the southeastern coast and established 75 relief camps in schools to accommodate them. While Karachi, the province's largest city, is not immediately under threat, emergency measures are being implemented as meteorologists warn of high tides that could inundate low-lying areas along the coasts.
Coastal areas of Gujarat have already experienced heavy rainfall and strong winds since Wednesday. Mandvi, in particular, reported strong winds and rough sea conditions. The Jakhau Port, typically bustling with activity, now wears a deserted look as the entire shoreline village has been relocated.
Gujarat state officials have successfully evacuated 67,000 people from coastal regions. Train services in Gujarat have been suspended, and the operations at Kandla and Mundra ports, two of India's largest ports, have been halted.
Fishing activities have been suspended along the Gujarat coast, and fishermen in Pakistan's coastal areas have also been advised to stay away from the water.
To tackle the aftermath of the cyclone, six national disaster relief teams have been deployed in key areas of the Kutch region in Gujarat. Their focus will be on ensuring that essential services remain unaffected or are restored promptly, depending on the intensity of the cyclone.
The India Meteorological Department expects Cyclone Biparjoy to weaken after crossing overland.
Cyclones are a regular and perilous occurrence in the Indian Ocean, known as hurricanes in the North Atlantic and typhoons in the Northwest Pacific. Rising surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea, attributed to climate change, have increased the vulnerability of the surrounding regions to devastating storms.
May 2021 witnessed the last severe cyclone in the same region, Cyclone Tauktae, which claimed the lives of 174 individuals. Photo by Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Wikimedia commons.