Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall today. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is 170 km away from Jakhau Port and 201 km west of Devbhumi Dwarka as of 12:30 pm. The intensity of the winds has increased in coastal districts of Gujarat
Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to have maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 km per square hour, gusting up to 140 km (87 miles) per hour
Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to make landfall between 6 pm and 8 pm on June 15, and will cross Saurashtra and Kutch coasts between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port, Indian Coast Guard said on Thursday.
All flights have been suspended at Jamnagar Airport until June 16.
- Runway 09/27 at the Mumbai airport has been shut down
- Air India said that some of its flights might get delayed or cancelled.
- SpiceJet flight operations to/from Mumbai, Bhavnagar, Pakyong, Kandla, and Ahmedabad will be affected
- Indigo said, “We are compelled to make some last-minute changes to flight schedule”
- Remove loose bricks, tiles, sharp objects, repair doors and windows from the house
- Cover glass windows, clear branches around the house
- Keep the numbers of helpline officials handy
- Ensure the cellphone is charged
- Monitor warnings, official information, don’t fall for rumours
- Keep a hurricane lantern filled with kerosene, battery operated torches, enough dry cells and extra batteries for transistors
- Secure your documents and valuables in water-proof packaging
- Move your valuable articles to upper floors to minimise flood damage
- Keep handy an emergency kit with essential items, such as medicines and first aid
- Stock non-perishable dry food items and drinking water
- Keep animals untied to ensure their safety
- Fishermen should have a radio set with extra batteries, keep boats tied up in a safe place and stay away from the sea
- Do not venture out of the house even if the winds appear to calm down. There is a high possibility that the centre of the cyclone might be passing near your location and very strong winds from the opposite direction might follow
- Don’t go near low-lying beaches or other water bodies. There are high chances of high tides or stormy waves
- Do not enter dilapidated buildings
- Don’t leave shelters until informed by the rescue personnel
- Switch off all the electrical mains and gas supply to avoid short circuit
- If you are venturing out of the house and are caught in the storm, try to find the nearest shelter, avoid going near a tree, and stay put until the authorities including NDMA, or Army staff reach you
Gujarat has already alerted all the teams to handle any untoward incident during cyclone Biparjoy’s landfall. Evacuation drills are being conducted around coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch from districts including Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagadh and Morbi
Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority’s airside department has also alerted the relevant officials to ensure the safety of lightweight aircraft
Meanwhile, United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi shared some images of Cyclone Biparjoy from space. Two days ago, he shared a video showing the gigantic storm formation over the Arabian Sea as it headed towards the Indian coast
Cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ was suggested by Bangladesh and the word means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali. The naming of cyclones is done by countries on a rotational basis, following certain existing guidelines