English
New Delhi: Massive waves lashed Daman seafront on Thursday as cyclone Biparjoy inches closer to Gujarat coast and is expected to hit the region within a couple of hours.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest update has conveyed some positive news stating that cyclone Biparjoy, which the weather agency had classified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm or VSCS, has weakened as it hurls towards the coast and will have an expected speed of 60 knots (115kmph) when it makes landfall.
#WATCH | Daman seafront lashed by massive waves as cyclone 'Biparjoy' is expected to hit Gujarat coast in a few hours pic.twitter.com/amp24rRNWc
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
In view of the latest update, the IMD has now categorized cyclone Biparjoy from very severe cyclonic storm to severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone is expected to significantly weaken immediately after making landfall.
Earlier, the IMD issued a red alert for the Saurashtra, Dwarka and Kutch coasts in Gujarat as Cyclone Biparjoy readied to make landfall over these areas.
In a statement, the IMD warned had that Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to cross Saurashtra-Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts around the afternoon of June 15 as a “very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS)” which is expected to wreak massive damage as it makes landfall.
A heavy rainfall warning has also been issued for several states that are likely come under the cyclonic storm’s ambit.
On Saturday, massive tidal waves smashed into the Ganpatipule area in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri following which the IMD issued a warning.
The IMD had said that Cyclone Biparjoy was likely to move nearly northward till the morning of June 14, then move north-northeast wards and “cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) around noon of June 15.
Eighteen NDRF teams have been placed on standby in Gujarat in anticipation of the devastation Cyclone Biparjoy is likely to wreak. Four of those teams have been deployed in Kutch district while three each have been set up in Rajkot and Devbhumi Dwarka. Two NDRF teams have been posted in Jamnagar, while one each is in Porbandar, Junagarh, Gir Somnath, Morbi, Valsad and Gandhinagar.
At least 50,000 people living in Gujarat’s eight coastal districts have been evacuated as Cyclone Biparjoy inches closer.
Stay tuned to India.com for more updates about Cyclone Biparjoy.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.
