Cyclone Biparjoy: 1,000 villages in Gujarat without power; trees uprooted, houses damaged

"Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy at 5:30 pm IST of today, the 16th June, over Kutch and adjoining Pakistan about 30 km northeast of Dholavira, 190 km west of Deesa and 200 km south-southwest of Barmer. To weaken further into a deep depression around midnight today, the 16th June," India Meteorological Department. 

The remnant of cyclone Biparjoy is expected to bring rain over parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh starting Sunday, and help the monsoon advance over east India currently in the grip of a severe heat wave, meteorologists said on Friday.

A small bridge washed away in the strong winds and rainfall, that occurred under the influence of Cyclone Biparjoy, near Bhavanipar village of Bhuj. No injuries or casualties were reported.

"Cyclone Biporjoy has moved north-eastwards and it is now located near Dholavira in Kachchh district of Gujarat. The intensity of the cyclone has slightly reduced, now it is a cyclone storm with windspeed of 80-90 km per hour," says Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra, DG, IMD.

Several trees were uprooted while waterlogging was witnessed in the several parts of the Bhuj district of Gujarat as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall. 

The 'Very Severe' cyclonic storm Biparjoy that hit Gujarat on Thursday night has now weakened to a 'Cyclonic' storm and is presently centered 30 kilometers west-northwest of Bhuj, IMD Director Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra said on Friday."Biparjoy has now weakened. It is in the category of 'Cyclonic Storm'. It is now centered 30 kilometers west-northwest of Bhuj," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday urged AAP workers to help people affected by Cyclone Biparjoy. Cyclone Biparjoy, which ripped through Kutch and parts of Saurashtra region of Gujarat, left a trail of destruction as gusty winds and rains wreaked havoc, officials said. Heavy rains lashed the entire Kutch district since the cyclone started making landfall near Jakhau Port from 6.30 pm on Thursday and the process continued till 2.30 am, an official said on Thursday.In a tweet in Hindi, Kejriwal said, "There has been a huge loss due to the cyclone. I appeal to all AAP workers to get involved in relief work and help people." The chief minister also expressed concern over the situation in Manipur.

Several areas of Jalore and Barmer districts in Rajasthan witnessed heavy rain due to Cyclone Biparjoy, which moved towards the desert state following its landfall in Gujarat, officials said on Friday. A meteorological department official said 60-70 mm rains occurred at a few places on Thursday night and extremely heavy rainfall is likely to occur in both the districts and adjoining areas on Friday. According to the official, 69 mm rainfall was recorded in Jalore till Friday morning. The department has sounded a "red" alert for Jalore and Barmer. More than 200 mm rainfall may occur in the areas where the alert has been sounded. The cyclone will weaken and move further over Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pali and Sirohi where very heavy rainfall is likely, the official said, adding that heavy rains may also occur in Rajsamand, Dungarpur and nearby areas on Friday and Saturday.

In the aftermath of landfall, NDRF Personnel conducted a road clearance operation in Bhuj, Gujarat. 

The very severe" cyclonic storm Biparjoy, currently over Saurashtra and Kutch which moved northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours, will weaken significantly on Friday. It is currently situated approximately 40 km northeast of the Jakhau Port and 30 km north of Naliya. The cyclone's intensity has lessened as it is now turning into a depression and very likely to move northeastwards across north Gujarat by Friday evening. As per the forecast, as of 9 a.m. Biparjoy ihas been reduced to a deep depression with a maximum sustained surface wind speed of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph. By 5.30 p.m. on Friday evening, it is expected to weaken into a depression with wind speeds between 35-45 kmph, gusting to 55 kmph. Meanwhile, a rainfall warning remains in place with light to moderate downpour expected at most places, accompanied by heavy to extremely heavy showers at isolated locations over Saurashtra and Kutch, north Gujaratand south Rajasthan on Friday.

Heavy rains and gusty winds at a speed of over 115-120 kilometres per hour created havoc in Gujarat's Morbi district, damaging over 300 electric poles, leading to power outage in around 45 villages, after Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in coastal areas of the state on Thursday evening.Officials with the Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) said that efforts are underway to restore power in nine of the affected villages.

The "very severe" cyclonic storm (VSCS) "Biparjoy", also reffered as "Biporjoy", has shifted its trajectory towards the northeast and traversed the coastal region adjoining Pakistan near the Jakhau port in Gujarat, specifically crossing the Saurashtra-Kutch area. "Currently, the cyclone has transitioned from the sea to land and its centre is now situated in the Saurashtra-Kutch region. The intensity of the cyclone has diminished to approximately 105-115 kmph, resulting in a downgrade of its category to a severe cyclonic storm. As a consequence of this weather system, Rajasthan may experience substantial rainfall on June 16," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. "VSCS BIPARJOY moved northeastwards & CROSSED Saurashtra-Kutch coast near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) between 2230 & 2330 IST of 15 June as a VSCS with windspeed of 115-125kmph. Lay centered at 2330IST lat 23.3N & Long 68.6E about 10km north of Jakhau Port, 30km WNW of Nalia as a SCS," the IMD said in a tweet at around 1:30 a.m. on Friday. According to initial reports, as a result of the storm, approximately 22 people have sustained injuries. Fortunately, there have been no reports of any fatalities at this time.

The intensity of cyclone Biparjoy which lashed Saurashtra-Kutch region has reduced from 'very severe' to 'severe' category hours after making landfall in coastal areas of Gujarat, an official said on Friday. The cyclone has moved northeastwards and has weakened into a cyclonic storm and will become a depression by the evening over south Rajasthan, the official said. Biparjoy (meaning disaster or calamity in Bengali) unleashed destructive wind speeds of up to 140 kmph and incessant rains as trees and electricity poles were uprooted, while seawater entered villages located in low-lying areas. A cattle-rearer duo of father and son died while trying to save their goats stuck in a flooded ravine in Bhavnagar district on Thursday. Howling winds yanked hundreds of trees, damaged communication towers, toppled electricity poles, flung solid objects, and raised dusty squalls that virtually resulted in zero visibility in some areas. Many areas plunged into darkness due to power cuts. Strong winds broke electric wires and poles, causing a power outage in 45 villages of Maliya tehsil, the official said.

Indore and Ujjain districts of Madhya Pradesh may see gusty winds and light rainfall in the next 24 hours due to cyclone Biparjoy, a senior official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday evening. The severe cyclonic storm made landfall on the Kutch coast in neighbouring Gujarat earlier in the day. “Isolated places in Indore and Ujjain districts might witness light showers with gusty winds in the next 24 hours, but otherwise Madhya Pradesh would not see much effect of Biparjoy," said IMD Bhopal centre director R Balasubramanian. Thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds with speeds of 30 to 40 kmph were very likely in isolated places in western MP, he added. A few parts of Madhya Pradesh received rainfall in the last 24 hours, he said. After the cyclone weakens, north-west MP including Gwalior might get some light rainfall on June 18 and 19, Balasubramanian said. Meanwhile, Tikamgarh bordering on Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius in the state on Thursday, the senior official said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday said the state was geared up to face cyclone Biparjoy and the heavy rainfall that will come with it. Gehlot, who held a meeting with the Chief Secretary, the DGP, and officials of the Meteorological Department on Wednesday, said there was no need to panic. "We have done a review. People of Civil Defense and Disaster Management have been deputed and there is no need to panic," he told reporters in Bharatpur. The CM however cautioned people in Barmer and Jalore to stay alert ahead of the impending cyclone. According to the Met department, heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Jodhpur and Udaipur divisions on Friday and Saturday due to the cyclone. Strong winds with a speed of 60 to 70 km per hour are expected in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jalore, and Jodhpur on Friday and in the Jodhpur, Udaipur, and Ajmer on Saturday.

The Indian Air Force's assets are in operational readiness for relief and rescue work that would follow Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall, the IAF said on Thursday. Strong winds and heavy rains lashed Kutch and Saurashtra coasts as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat on Thursday evening after churning across the Arabian Sea for more than 10 days. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the landfall will end by midnight. "IAF assets in operational readiness for relief and rescue operations that would follow the landfall of Cyclone Biparjoy. IAF is committed to assisting fellow citizens to tackle contingencies that arise due to the cyclone," the IAF tweeted earlier in the day. According to officials, 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force, 12 teams of the State Disaster Response Force as well as personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force have been deployed for relief and rescue operations. Authorities have evacuated around one lakh people living in vulnerable areas in coastal districts of Gujarat. The IMD said the cyclone would bring extremely heavy rainfall and cause "astronomical tides" with a storm surge of two to three metres that could inundate low-lying areas in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar and Morbi districts during landfall.

The intensity of Cyclone Biparjoy has reduced from 'very severe' category to 'severe' after the storm made landfall in coastal areas of Gujarat on Thursday evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.IMD Director Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the cyclone has now moved from sea to land and is centred towards Sauarashtra-Kutch, adding that heavy rains are expected in Rajasthan on Friday. "Cyclone Biporjoy moved northeastwards and crossed the Saurashtra-Kutch adjoining Pakistan coast close to the Jakhau port, Gujarat. The cyclone has now moved from sea to land and is centred towards Sauarashtra-Kutch. The intensity of the cyclone has reduced to 105-115 kmph. The category has changed from very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) to severe cyclonic storm (SCS). There may be heavy rains in Rajasthan on June 16," the IMD Director said.

At least 22 people were injured, while electric poles and trees were uprooted as 'very severe' cyclonic storm Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat's coastal areas on Thursday evening, officials said.In addition to this, 23 animals have also been killed and heavy rains coupled with gusty winds brought down over 524 trees and electric poles at various places in Gujarat, snapping the supply of power to around 940 villages, they said. As the storm's landfall process started, gusty winds at over 120 kmph and heavy rains lashed the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts of the state.Officials said that several relief and rescue teams are on alert as tens of thousands of people were evacuated to safe locations in Gujarat.

Cyclone 'Biparjoy' is expected to weaken further by Friday morning and move into a 'depression' in the subsequent evening, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today in the wee hours.IMD officials said that the 'severe' cyclonic storm Biparjoy lay centred over the Saurashtra-Kutch region and is expected to move northeastwards, adding that heavy rains are expected in Rajasthan on Friday.

Cyclone Biparjoy which packed high wind speeds and brought heavy rains caused complete disruption of normal life in Gujarat's Kutch district on Thursday as trees were uprooted in large numbers, power failure was reported in many areas, and low-lying areas near the sea were flooded. Biparjoy made landfall near Jakhau as a very severe cyclonic storm around 6.30 pm on Thursday with wind speeds of 115 to 125 kmph gusting upto 140 kmph. The entire landfall will be over by midnight, the IMD said. A total power blackout was witnessed in Mandvi town. Many trees were uprooted on Jakhau-Mandvi road as well as in Mandvi town due to the strong winds. "No casualties have been reported so far," district collector Amit Arora said. "Wind speed is very high. Right now we are having rains everywhere. But the situation is under control," he added.

Cyclone Biparjoy is 10 km west of Jakhau Port, said IMD.

PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel. "Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi received complete details of the Biparjoy cyclone situation over Gujarat through a telephonic conversation. He also expressed concern for the safety of wild animals including lions of Gir Forest and questioned the care arrangements for them," wrote Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on his social media handle in Gujarati.

Cyclone is about 20 km away from Jakhau Port, said IMD.

23 trains have been cancelled, 3 trains short-terminated and 7 trains short-originated. With this, 99 trains have been cancelled, 39 trains have been short-terminated, while 38 trains short-originated as a precautionary measure, in view of safety of passengers & train operations with respect to onset of #CycloneBiparjoy, said Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway.

Cyclone about 30 km away from Jakhau Port, 110 km from Dwarka, said IMD.

"The main impact will be in Gujarat's Kachchh area and south area of Rajasthan. Heavy rains are expected and chances of flood are also there," said Narendra Singh Bundela, IG, NDRF.

"The IMD has predicted that it (Cyclone Biparjoy) will turn into a depression by 12 pm tomorrow (June 16), and its speed will decrease to less than 40 km/hour. There is a possibility of minimal damage," said NDRF IG Narendra Singh Bundela.

Kutch: At least three people were injured in incidents of treefall in Gujarat's Devbhoomi Dwarka district as cyclone Biparjoy made landfall with destructive wind speed and incessant rains on Kutch coast on Thursday evening, officials said. Many trees and electricity poles were uprooted near Jakhau and Mandvi towns in Kutch district while tin sheets used in house construction were blown away.

“We are well prepared and are monitoring the situation. We have begun alerting the people of the state to act in accordance with the warning (given by the officials),” said CM Ashok Gehlot on cyclone preparations in Rajasthan.

Gujarat: Trees uprooted as strong winds hit Dwarka under impact of Cyclone Biparjoy.

Gujarat: All schools in Navsari district to remain closed on 16th June in the wake of Cyclone Biparjoy, District Collector issues a notification.

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel holds a review meeting at the State Emergency Operation Center in Gandhinagar on Cyclone Biparjoy.

As per the local media, zero visibility was reported in Jakhau, Dwarka after landfall.

As per the IMD, Cyclone Biparjoy landfall has started in Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat and till midnight the landfall process will continue.

The Indian Air Force assets are in operational readiness for relief and rescue work that would follow the landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy', the IAF said on Thursday. "#IAF assets in Op readiness for relief and rescue operations that would follow the landfall of #Cyclonebiparjoy. IAF is committed to assist fellow citizens to tackle contingencies that arise due to the cyclone," the IAF tweeted.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said 'Biparjoy' is likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district late Thursday night as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speeds reaching a maximum of 140 kilometres per hour.

Manorama Mohanty, MET Director, Ahmedabad said that the landfall process is likely to start during the evening hour and it will continue till midnight.

Cyclone Biparjoy is excepted to make landfall in Gujarat between 6 pm to 8 pm today. The rough seas were seen at Gateway of India in Mumbai’s Maharashtra.

Gujarat's Mandvi witnessed strong winds and heavy rain as cyclone 'Biparjoy' approaches Gujarat coast to make landfall.

Fishing boats have been anchored, large ships sent to high seas, more than 4,000 hoardings taken down and salt pan workers and pregnant women have been taken to safer places as authorities have evacuated about 1 lakh people in Gujarat in the wake of Cyclone 'Biparjoy', NDRF DG Atul Karwal said Thursday. The head of the federal contingency force said the NDRF has also kept on alert 15 teams in the north, east and south of the country to airlift them and reinforce the strength of these 33 teams which have been earmarked for cyclone relief and rescue work in Gujarat and Maharashtra. A total of 18 teams have been stationed in Gujarat which is predicted to take the maximum brunt of the cyclonic storm and resulting strong winds and heavy rains.

The wind speed of Cyclone Biparjoy at the time of landfall during the evening time will be 150 km per hour: IMD DG Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra

(With inputs from Manish Prasad) 

Lifeguards deployed at Mumbai's Juhu beach as tidal waves hit the coast and the entry of people to the beach was banned due to cyclone Biparjoy.

Cyclone Biparjoy is less than 200 kilometres from the Gujarat coast and its impending landfall on Thursday evening, along with the anticipated heavy rain and storm surge, have led to the evacuation of 74,000 people living in vulnerable areas, authorities have said. The administration has shifted people from nearly 120 villages located between zero and 10 km from the seashore in Kutch district. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Biparjoy is expected to make landfall near Jakhau port as a “very severe cyclonic storm” with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour. The IMD said that the intensity of rainfall will increase as the powerful weather system approaches the coast, with isolated places in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts likely to witness extremely heavy rainfall.

In the wake of cyclone 'Biparjoy' approaching Gujarat's coastal areas, Border Security Force (BSF) has made adequate preparations to combat any challenges arising out of the impending storm. The Inspector General of BSF Gujarat, Ravi Gandhi visited the coastal areas of Bhuj and took stock of the preparedness to deal with any situation.

Seventeen SDRF teams have been deployed in Rajasthan to deal with the impact of very severe cyclone Biparjoy which is expected to make landfall on the Gujarat coast Thursday, a top official said on Wednesday. Rajasthan Chief Secretary Usha Sharma held a meeting with officials of various departments and district collectors to review the preparations to deal with the effects of the cyclone. A meteorological department official said in the meeting that under the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy, a deep depression will hit Jalore and Barmer on June 16, bringing heavy rains and thunderstorms with wind speeds up to 50 to 60 km per hour. Sharma said 17 SDRF teams have been deployed and 30 teams are in reserve and directed the officers to be present at their headquarters to deal with the situation. The district collectors present in the meeting said that power, health and police departments have been alerted to deal with any impending situation.

Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman on Wednesday chaired a meeting of managing directors of public sector banks and insurance companies to review their preparedness in view of cyclone 'Biparjoy'. Categorised as a "very severe cyclonic storm", 'Biparjoy' is expected to make landfall in the Gujarat coast Thursday. "MDs from the banks & insurance companies provided a detailed update on the precautionary measures for the #CycloneBiparjoy. During the meeting, Smt @nsitharaman stated that all Disaster Management protocols should be followed and staff should be made aware of it," the finance ministry said in a series of tweets. The India Meteorological Department has said that cyclone 'Biparjoy', which is forecast to cross close to Jakhau Port on the evening of June 15, has “extensive damaging potential” and is likely to impact Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat the most.

With cyclone 'Biparjoy' likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district on Thursday, the state administration has shifted more than 74,000 people living near the coast as a precaution and deployed disaster management units for rescue and relief measures, said officials on Wednesday. With the cyclone in the Arabian Sea barrelling towards the Gujarat coast, parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, the Met department said. This will be the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after 'Tauktae' in May 2021. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), cyclone 'Biparjoy' would make landfall near Jakhau Port on Thursday evening as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour. Of the total 74,345 people moved to temporary shelters in eight coastal districts, nearly 34,300 were evacuated in Kutch district 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 district and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district, said a release by the Gujarat government.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot held a meeting with officials on Wednesday night to review the arrangements made to deal with the impact of very severe cyclone Biparjoy which is expected to make landfall on the coast of neighbouring Gujarat on Thursday. The meeting was informed that heavy rainfall is likely to occur in Rajasthan's Jodhpur and Udaipur divisions on June 16 and 17 under the influence of the cyclone. Strong winds with a speed of 60 to 70 km per hour are expected in the adjoining areas of Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jalore and Jodhpur on June 16 and in Jodhpur, Udaipur and Ajmer the next day.

As cyclone 'Biparjoy' approaches the coastal region of Gujarat, four ships with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks embarked are on standby at short notice, Indian Navy said in a statement. Biparjoy is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau coast, Gujarat on the evening of June 15 and will traverse all along the Rann of Kutch up to Rajasthan. Five relief teams each at Porbandar and Okha and 15 relief teams at Valsura are on standby to render assistance to civil authorities.Helos at INS Hansa in Goa and INS Shikra in Mumbai are ready for embarkation/ ferry to Gujarat, added the statement.

The Western Railway decided to cancel or short- terminate the operation of a few more trains as a precaution in view of the powerful cyclone Biparjoy which is expected to make landfall in adjoining Gujarat on Thursday (June 15) evening. WR said seven more trains have been cancelled, three short-terminated and four other services short-originated in view of safety of passengers and train operations as the cyclone approaches the Gujarat coast. So far 76 trains have been cancelled, 36 short-terminated and 31 short-originated. In addition, various safety and security precautions are being taken by the WR for train passengers in areas under its jurisdiction.