Cyclone Biparjoy LIVE: 'Biporjoy' Triggers Rain in Mumbai, Heavy Showers Likely in Gujarat for Next 4 Days; Over 37,000 Shifted, 95 Trains Cancelled

“Today’s Weather forecast 8 am: Partly cloudy sky with possibility of light to moderate spells of rain/ thundershowers in city and suburbs. Occasional strong winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph very likely. Hot and humid conditions very likely in city and suburbs,” weather department said.

The impact of cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ (pronounced Biporjoy) will be visible in Rajasthan from June 15, said the Meteorological Centre here on Tuesday.

The cyclone impact will be seen in 12 districts. A warning has been issued in this regard, said the weather department.

In view of the intensity of the cyclone, the Railways has partially and fully cancelled the operation of more than a dozen trains going from Rajasthan to Porbandar, Bhuj, Okha, and Gandhidham in Gujarat.

The Mumbai Police, after a maritime and aerial search operation lasting over 22 hours, have recovered the bodies of all the four minor boys who were sucked into the Arabian Sea off Juhu’s Koliwada on Monday evening, the BMC Disaster Control said here on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, the police recovered the bodies of Dharmesh Valji Faujiya and Shubham Yogesh Bhogania, both 16, and they were sent to the R.N. Cooper Hospital.

The missing bodies of two others, Manish Yogesh Bhogania, 12, and Jay Roshan Tajbariya, 15, were also recovered after over 22 hours from the Arabian Sea, stirred up by Cyclone Biparjoy.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that cyclone Biparjoy has turned from extreme to a ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm and will cross the Jakhau Port in Gujarat by Thursday evening, although an ‘orange’ alert is still in effect for the state’s Saurashtra and Kutch coasts.

“The very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy over northeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph during past six-hours and lay centred at 5.30 a.m on Tuesday over northeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea near latitude 20.6N and longitude 67.0E, about 300 km west-southwest of Porbandar, 290 km southwest of Devbhumi Dwarka, 340 km south-southwest of Jakhau Port, 350 km south-southwest of Naliya and 480 km south of Karachi (Pakistan),” the IMD said in a statement.

“It is very likely to move nearly northwards till Wednesday morning, then move north-northeast wards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi near Jakhau Port by Thursday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph,” it added.

A total of 4050 hoardings have been removed in eight districts of this coastal area as a precautionary measure. The services of satellite phones, ham radio operator, and G-SWAN network have also been kept ready as part of vigilance to meet the impact of the communication systems due to heavy rain or storm. Mobile service operators have also been told to operate alternative towers as part of vigilance, said the Chief Secretary.

As Gujarat braces for the impact of extremely severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy, 37000 people have already been moved to safety from eight districts of Gujarat. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel held a high-level meeting with all the top officials of the state government on Tuesday night. Several emergency measures have been put into service by the Gujarat government, officials said.

“A total of 37,794 people have been shifted to safe places in eight districts. They are – Kutch, Porbandar, Junagadh, Jamnagar, Devbhoomi-Dwarka, Gir-Somnath, Morbi and Rajkot. In Kutch, more than 40 thousand food packets-two thousand kilograms of milk powder, 45 thousand tetra packs of milk were prepared to be distributed to the needy people,” an official of the Gujarat government said.

Several measures have been taken by the government till now. currently, 15 teams of NDRF and 12 teams of SDRF have been deployed. A total of 115 teams of the Roads and Buildings Department and 597 teams of the Power Department are prepared for possible disaster roadblocks, repairs and restoration against adverse effects of the power supply.

Cyclone Biparjoy is now completely detached from the monsoonal flow and will not adversely impact the advance of the rain-bearing system or its performance, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference here, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone, however, helped the monsoon advance over southern parts of the peninsula by increasing the cross-equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea.

“Now, it is completely detached from the monsoonal flow. We do not expect any largescale impact either on the monsoon advance or its performance,” he said.

“Cyclone Warning for Saurashtra & Kutch Coasts: Orange Message. VSCS BIPARJOY at 2330 IST of 13th June over NE Arabian Sea near lat 21.7N & long 66.3E, about 300km WSW of Devbhumi Dwarka. To cross near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by evening of 15th June as VSCS,” IMD said in a tweet.

Fishing activities have been suspended till June 16, ports are shut and ships are anchored as the sea turned very rough and weather became inclement with extremely heavy rainfall and strong winds in the region due to the approaching cyclone. “The sea will remain very rough to high till Jun 14, increasing to high to phenomenal on June 15,” Ahmedabad IMD director Manorama Mohanty said.

Pandey said the government is constantly working to ensure that there is no loss of life due to the weather phenomenon. He said the rescue operation is being carried out in two phases, with people residing 0 to 5 km from the seashore to be shifted first. Thereafter, people living within a distance of 5 to 10 km from the coast will be moved to safer places, with priority to be given to children, pregnant women and the elderly.

“After it makes landfall and weakens, the movement of the cyclone is likely to remain north-eastward and it is expected to move towards extreme south Rajasthan. It will bring heavy to very heavy rain in north Gujarat till June 15-17,” Ahmedabad IMD director Manorama Mohanty said.

Along with two fresh deaths in Gujarat due to stormy weather ahead of cyclone Biparjoy’s expected landfall, total casualties rose to five.

A woman from MP, Ramkanya Bannosingh, died on the spot while another person was injured when a spray drying chimney in a ceramic factory in Morbi district fell on them. In another incident, a 35-year-old man identified as Naran Lodhar died after he was crushed under a dilapidated building that collapsed in Porbandar, according to a report by Times of India.

In a virtual meeting to take stock of the cyclone preparedness, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asked the Gujarat government to make arrangements for moving people living in sensitive places to safer areas and ensure all necessary services, such as electricity, telecommunication, health and drinking water.

The meeting was attended by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, two Union ministers, several Gujarat ministers and MPs, MLAs and officials from eight districts that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

The state government is aiming to evacuate people within 10 km of the coast, he said, adding that so far one fatality related to the cyclone has been recorded.

Authorities on Tuesday shifted 30,000 people from coastal areas to temporary shelters two days before powerful cyclone Biparjoy’s (pronounced biporjoy) expected landfall near Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch district. An official said several NDRF and SDRF teams are on standby.

Simultaneously, Army authorities have jointly planned relief operations with civil administration and National Disaster Response Force. The Army has kept flood relief columns ready at strategic locations.

Union power minister R K Singh on Tuesday reviewed preparation for power supply and quick restoration arrangements for coastal areas in Gujarat and Rajasthan against the backdrop of Cyclone ‘Biparjoy.

Singh on Tuesday held a meeting with senior officers of the Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Grid Controller of India and PGCIL for reviewing the preparations for maintenance of power supply in coastal areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan which are likely to be affected by Cyclone ‘Biparjoy‘, a power ministry statement said.

He also discussed various necessary arrangements with the Power Minister of Gujarat on the phone and gave strict instructions to all concerned to continuously monitor the situation and take all necessary steps for maintaining the stable grid supply to the States likely to be affected and also make arrangements for Emergency Restoration System (ERS) along with necessary men and material to be stationed at the strategic locations so that restoration works can be taken up without any delay.

Ahead of Cyclone Biprajoy–pronounced ‘Biporjoy’– making landfall in Gujarat, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting to review the preparedness with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and emphasised on “zero casualty”.

Shah chaired the virtual meeting, attended by Patel, Union Ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala, several Gujarat ministers, MPs, MLAs, the Chief Secretary and District Magistrates, Union Home Secretary, Director General of India Meteorological Department (IMD), Member Secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs.

During the meeting, Shah said that our aim is to ensure ‘zero casualty’ and minimize the possible damage caused by the cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’.

A deep depression over the southeast Arabian Sea turned from extreme to a ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm and will cross the Jakhau Port in Gujarat by Thursday evening.

The name of the cyclonic storm– Biparjoy (pronounced ‘Biporjoy’)– has been given by Bangladesh. In Bangla, the word Biparjoy means ‘calamity’ or ‘disaster’.

The naming was done as per the rules of World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The naming of cyclones is done by countries on a rotational basis, following certain existing guidelines.

Cyclone Biparjoy (pronounced ‘Biporjoy’) is expected to make landfall near Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch district by Wednesday evening. An ‘orange’ alert is in effect for the state’s Saurashtra and Kutch coasts.

Ahmedabad IMD director Manorama Mohanty said the cyclone is likely to cross between Mandvi in Kutch and Karachi in Pakistan near Jakhau port with 125-135 kmph wind speed gusting to 150 kmph on the evening of June 15.

A warning has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds in coastal parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region, especially in the districts of Kutch, Porbandar and Devbhumi Dwarka, she said.