Gujarat braces for Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall today
As Cyclone Biparjoy is forecast to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch on Thursday, the state's coastal districts are bracing for heavy to very heavy rainfall coupled with gale winds reaching 120-130kmph. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the coasts in the Kutch and Saurashtra regions, while over 74,000 people near the sea coast have been evacuated.
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The very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) is expected to damage roads, houses, and standing crops, apart from disrupting communication and power lines. The cyclone's impact has already claimed multiple lives across Gujarat. Earlier, it was thought that the cyclone would not impact the Indian coast as it was moving toward Pakistan, but it later changed course and turned toward the northern Gujarat coast.
Cyclone likely to move northeastward
Low-lying areas in Kutch, Dwarka, Porbandar to be flooded
Astronomical tides up to three-six meters are expected off and along the Kutch and Saurashtra coasts until Thursday night. Thereafter, the sea condition is likely to settle. Meanwhile, the IMD has warned about a storm surge in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, and Morbi districts and said the low-lying areas in these districts are likely to be inundated during the time of landfall.
7 more trains canceled, 3 short-terminated
As the cyclone approaches the Gujarat coast, Western Railways on Wednesday canceled seven more trains, short-terminated three, and short-originated four trains. So far, 76 trains have been canceled, 36 short-terminated, and 31 short-originated. This is the first cyclone to hit Gujarat since 2021, after Tauktae.
Around half of evacuees from Kutch
Of the total 74,345 people evacuated in eight coastal districts, around 34,300 were rescued in Kutch alone, followed by 10,000 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,089 in Rajkot, 5,035 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 4,604 in Junagadh, 3,469 in Porbandar, and 1,605 in Gir Somnath.
