Alert issued as cyclone 'Biparjoy' likely to hit India's west coast on Thursday
Last updated on: 13 June,2023 10:56 am
There are threats of total destruction of thatched houses
MUMBAI (Web Desk) – A storm off India's west coast has strengthened to become a powerful cyclone and could hit India's western state of Gujarat on Thursday (June 15), said the Indian weather department in an alert on Tuesday.
“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 6-hours and lay centered at 0530 hours IST of today, the 13 th June, 2023 over Northeast and adjoining East-central Arabian Sea near latitude 20.6°N and longitude 67.0°E, 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),” reads the India Meteorological Department’s alert.
The “Biparjoy” is very likely to move nearly northwards till 14th morning, then move north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by evening of 15th June as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.
The IMD also issue heavy rainfall warning for Gujarat (Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts), saying light to moderate rainfall is expected at many places in coastal districts of with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall on June 13.
It said the intensity of rainfall would increase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka & Jamnagar and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi & Junagarh districts of Gujarat and Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over remaining districts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat region on June 15.
The IMD warned that Gale wind speed reaching 150-160 kmph gusting to 180 kmph prevailing over northeast and adjoining eastcentral Arabian Sea Arabian Sea likely to decrease becoming 140- 150 kmph gusting to 165 kmph from the evening.
The astronomical tides along these districts could be up to 3-6 meters in different places.
The weather department also warned that damage is expected over Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Morbi & Junagarh & Rajkot districts of Gujarat on June15. It said there were threats of total destruction of thatched houses, adding that there were also potential threat from flying objects”.