 "WATCH: Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall in Gujarat - From Adani port to Kutch, dramatic videos goes viral")
synopsis
Cyclone Biparjoy started making much awaited landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district on Thursday evening after churning across the Arabian Sea for over 10 days.
After churning across the Arabian Sea for more than ten days, Cyclone Biparjoy began making its much anticipated landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat's Kutch district on Thursday evening. Multi-agency response teams remained on high alert for relief and rescue efforts, and about one lakh people were relocated to safer areas in the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the landfall process would be finished by midnight. While hundreds of workers from disaster management organisations and other departments remained on high alert for relief and rescue operations, strong winds and heavy rains battered the Kutch and Saurashtra beaches. Three people were hurt in the Devbhoomi Dwarka area when a tree fell on them.
"Dense convective clouds have entered Kutch and Devbhumi Dwarka districts and therefore, the landfall process has commenced. It will continue until midnight," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said in New Delhi.
A cyclonic storm making landfall is one that has previously been over water.
Also read: Cyclone Biparjoy landfall: 6 destructive cyclones to hit India in the 10 years
The cyclone's eye has a diameter of about 50 kilometres. With a marching speed of 13–14 kmph, Biparjoy is moving forward. Therefore, according to Mohapatra, it will take around five hours for the wall cloud and the eye to completely pass into the land.
Many trees and electric poles were uprooted by destructive wind force near the Kutch settlements of Jakhau and Mandvi, and tin sheets and plastic blinds were blown away.
Until 7 pm, there was no report of any loss of life, said Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said.
"Three persons sustained injuries in Devbhoomi Dwarka district after a tree fall and they are being treated. Teams of the Gujarat police, the NDRF and the Army are working at ground level in different parts of Dwarka to remove uprooted trees and electric poles," Sanghavi said.
The'very severe' cyclonic storm Biparjoy is centred over the northern Arabian Sea, but it is moving closer to the Saurashtra coast, according to an Ahmedabad-based news release from the IMD.
Following a prompt warning from the IMD about the "extensive damaging potential" of the cyclone—the second potent storm to hit the state in three years after "Tauktae" in May 2021—authorities have evacuated about one lakh people residing in susceptible locations in coastal districts of Gujarat.
According to officials, personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard, and Border Security Force have been sent for relief and rescue efforts, along with 12 teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and 15 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
The Met office has already issued a warning for exceptionally high rainfall (above 20.5 cm) in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi, and Junagarh.
According to the report, the cyclone will produce a "astronomical tide" with a storm surge of 2-3 metres high during landfall, which might inundate low-lying areas in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, and Morbi.
All activities, including oil drilling, ship movement, and fishing, have been suspended due to the extraordinary sea conditions in the northeast and the adjacent east-central Arabian Sea (waves there could reach 10 to 14 metres high).
In defiance of prior forecasts, Biparjoy, this year's first cyclone in the Arabian Sea, underwent quick development on June 6 and June 7. In just 48 hours, it moved from a cyclonic circulation to a very severe cyclonic storm.
Additionally, it has remained strong for a longer period of time than typical, which meteorologists ascribe to an exceptionally warm Arabian Sea.
According to IMD data, Biparjoy has grown to be the cyclone in the Arabian Sea with the greatest life span.
The life of Biparjoy, which began at 5.30 am on June 6 over the southeast Arabian Sea, has lasted for approximately 10 days and 12 hours. 2019's very dangerous Cyclone Kyarr over the Arabian Sea only lasted 9 days, 15 hours.
As a precaution, around one lakh residents of eight coastal districts have been relocated to temporary shelters in Gujarat.
"Of 94,427 persons evacuated so far, 46,800 were evacuated in Kutch district, followed by 10,749 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 9,942 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,822 in Rajkot, 4,864 in Junagadh, 4,379 in Porbandar and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district," a state government release said.
According to IMD Ahmedabad director Manorama Mohanty, the storm will cause exceptionally heavy rainfall in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Jamnagar while maintaining strong wind speeds through Friday.
In the six hours leading up to Thursday midday, numerous areas of Kutch, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Amreli had severe rainfall ranging from 10 to 20 millimetres.
In addition to Saurashtra-Kutch, other districts of Gujarat were expected to see light precipitation and surface wind gusts of up to 40 kmph, according to IMD authorities.
According to officials, the cyclone would completely destroy thatched homes, severely injure 'kachcha' homes, and inflict considerable damage on pucca structures.
Aside from damaging and flooding approach roads, it will also uproot power and communication poles, according to the district officials, who have made extensive preparations to ensure that water and power supply won't be interrupted.
The Indian Air Force assets are in operational readiness for relief and rescue work that would follow the landfall of cyclone 'Biparjoy'. "#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 information and broadcasting ministry has instructed media outlets, including television networks, to deploy their staff to cover storm Biparjoy with "abundant precaution" to safeguard their safety.
The ministry announced in New Delhi that journalists, particularly those from satellite television companies, will be covering the cyclone and other associated events on the ground.
"Given the possible impact of the cyclone, reporting from the ground level may pose serious risks of safety and security of the reporters and the cameramen and other personnel deployed by the private satellite TV channels for reporting this incident," it said.
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