Cyclone Biparjoy: IMD issues red alert, warns of flood; trains cancelled
Cyclone Biparjoy: India Meteorological Department (IMD) has sounded a Red alert as a cyclone warning for the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts. This comes even after Cyclone Biparjoy further weakened to very severe cyclonic storm over the northeast Arabian Sea.
According to IMD, the cyclone is expected to inundate low-lying areas in the districts of Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, and Morbi. While Biparjoy weakened to become a very severe cyclone, experts warned that it might pick up pace again and bring massive havoc in Gujarat by triggering massive storm surges.
By Thursday evening, the cyclone is expected to move nearly north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch, as well as the adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speeds of 125-135 km/h gusting to 150 km/h.
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According to the IMD, a storm surge of roughly 2 -3 metres above the astronomical tide would likely inundate the low-lying regions of Gujarat's Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagarh, and Morbi districts during the cyclone's landfall. The astronomical tides along these districts could be as high as 3-6 metres in some locations.
Further, Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts of Saurashtra and Kutch are likely to e light to experience moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places on Wednesday. The intensity of rainfall will increase on Thursday.
Biparjoy is expected to make landfall on June 15 between Gujarat's Mandvi and Pakistan's port city of Karachi, according to the Met department, causing total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kutcha houses in the districts of Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagarh, and Rajkot. The very severe cyclonic storm has the potential to uproot electricity and communication poles in these areas, disrupt railways, and harm standing crops, plantations, and orchards.
According to Western Railway, 95 trains running through, originating in, or terminating in Gujarat's coastal areas will remain cancelled or short-terminated till June 15.
- PTC NEWS
