Cyclone Biparjoy is currently less than 200 km from the Gujarat shore.

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Cyclone Biparjoy is currently less than 200 km from the Gujarat shore.

Digital Desk: 74,000 people have been evacuated from Gujarat's coastline region in preparation for cyclone Biparjoy's projected landfall in Kutch district this evening. Several districts throughout the state have received Red and Orange alerts.

Here’s 10-point cheatsheet to this big story:

11. Cyclone Biparjoy is currently less than 200 km from the Gujarat shore. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), it will cross Saurashtra and Kutch, as well as the neighbouring Pakistan beaches between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port, between 4 and 8 ppm.

2. Biparjoy, classified as a "very severe cyclonic storm" of category 3, is expected to have maximum wind speeds of 115-125 kmph. The wind speed is expected to increase throughout the afternoon.

3. "VSCS Biparjoy over the Northeast Arabian Sea at 0230 IST on June 15, 2023, about 200 kilometres west-southwest of Jakhau Port (Gujarat)." "To cross Saurashtra and Kutch, as well as adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi and Karachi near Jakhau Port by the evening of June 15th as a VSVS," IMD said in its latest cyclone bulletin.

Also Read : Cyclone Biparjoy: Flights At Jamnagar Airport Suspended Till Tomorrow

4. The forecast office warned that as cyclone Biparjoy near the shore, the intensity of the rain will increase, with isolated areas in Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Jamnagar districts expected to see extremely severe rainfall. The administration has relocated residents from roughly 120 villages in the Kutch area, which are located between zero and ten kilometres from the seashore.

5. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel attended a meeting today at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Gandhinagar to examine cyclone preparedness. According to the government, 74,345 people have been relocated to temporary shelters in the eight coastal districts of Kutch, Jamnagar, Morbi, Rajkot, Devbhumi Dwarka, Junagadh, Porbandar, and Gir Somnath.

6. In different coastal areas, eighteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), twelve teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), 115 teams of the state road and construction department and 397 teams of the state power department have been deployed.

7. According to the Ministry of Defence, the military forces, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Indian Coast Guard, have taken the required preparations to assist the people of Gujarat.

8. Fishing activities have been suspended till tomorrow (June 16), ports have been closed, and ships have been anchored as the sea got tumultuous and the weather became inclement due to the impending storm, with extremely heavy rains and strong winds in the vicinity.

9. The Western Railway announced the cancellation of 76 trains as a precautionary measure to guarantee the safety of passengers and railway operations. According to another statement, the two most prominent temples in Gujarat, Dwarkadhish Temple in Devbhumi Dwarka and Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath region, will stay closed on Thursday for worshippers.

10. A storm surge of around 2-3 metres above the astronomical tide is expected to inundate low-lying sections of the districts that will be affected by the landfall. According to the IMD, tides might rise up to 3-6 metres in some areas. This will be the state's second cyclone in two years, following 'Tauktae' in May 2021.