Cyclone Biparjoy Brings Heavy Rains In Saurashtra-Kutch Region, Landfall To Continue Till Midnight

The process of Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall began a little after 6.30 pm in the west around the Jakhau Port between Mandvi and Karachi (Pakistan)

Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to impact all the Gujarat districts adjoining the Gulf of Kutch — such as Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, and Devbhoomi Dwarka — the most. The landfall has started and will continue till midnight, according to Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of meteorology, India Meteorological Department.

Cyclone has hit the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat with wind speeds of around 130 kmph while moving at a pace of 15 kmph. The Saurashtra region comprises Dwarka, Jamnagar, Morbi, Rajkot, Porbandar, Junagadh, Gir Somnath,  Amreli,  Bhavnagar, Botad, Surendranagar, and parts of Ahmedabad. Kutch is the largest district of India.

Here are the latest updates on Cyclone Biparjoy as per the IMD: 

• The process of Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall began around 6.30 in the west around the Jakhau Port between Mandvi and Karachi (Pakistan). The landfall will continue till midnight. The wind speed is expected to range between 115 kmph and 125 kmph, reaching up to 140 kmph during the landfall. “The wind speed may cause structural and large-scale damage, including uprooting of trees and electricity poles,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said earlier.

• The cyclone's wind speed is likely to reduce to 70 kmph-90 kmph by Friday morning. At present, its speed is 120 kmph-130 kmph. Cyclone Biparjoy's wind speed may increase to 140 kmph," MET director in Ahmedabad Manorama Mohanty said earlier in the day. The cyclone presently has a speed of 120-130 kmph.
  
  


• Due to heavy rain, there will be a lot of damage in small and big areas of Kutch. Wind speed will slow down from tomorrow morning.
  
  


• So far, more than one lakh people have been evacuated, half of whom were from Kutch district alone. The NDRF, in collaboration with the state government, has deployed 18 teams primarily in Kutch. The SDRF, army, and BSF have also deployed teams to support evacuation, rescue, and relief operations.

• Ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy, commercial flight operations were suspended in Gujarat’s Jamnagar airport till Friday. A NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) has been issued from 1.30 pm on June 14 to June 16 midnight. "No commercial flights are currently in operation and only emergency and relief flights are allowed," DK Singh, airport director of Jamnagar, said.