Cyclone Biparjoy to landfall between Sindh, Indian Gujarat coast

KARACHI: Arabian Sea Cyclone Biparjoy, which has now weakened into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, will landfall between Sindh and India’s Gujarat coast on Thursday noon or evening, citing sources ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Cyclone Biparjoy has been at a distance of 340km south- southwest of Karachi, 355km south- southwest of Thatta and 275km south- southwest of Keti Bandar, Met Office said.

Maximum sustained surface winds are 150-160 Km/hour gusts 180 Km/hour around the system center and sea conditions being phenomenal around the system center with maximum wave height 30 feet.

Under the existing upper-level steering winds, cyclone Biparjoy is now likely to recurve North- northeastward and cross between Keti Bandar (Southeast Sindh) and Indian Gujarat coast on 15 June afternoon/evening as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with packing winds of 100-120 Km/hour gusting 140 km/hour.

The cyclonic storm will bring heavy rainfall in Tharparkar, Badin, Sujawal and Umarkot districts of Sindh, weather department said.

International media reports said that the Arabian Sea cyclone will landfall on Thursday noon near Jakhau Port at Gujarat coast.

A weather alert said that widespread wind-dust/thunderstorm rain with high intensity winds of 80-100Km/hour likely in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparker, Mirpurkhas and Umerkot districts during June 13-17.

A windstorm of 20-30km speed is expected in Karachi at noon to evening today with rainfall, Met Office said.

The government of Sindh has said that 64,000 people have been evacuated from various coastal towns and settlements. The authorities have evacuated 13,000 people from Thatta district’s Taluka Keti Bandar and 5,000 persons from Ghorabari, 19,000 people from Badin’s Shaheed Fazil Rahu taluka and 9,000 from various villages of the district.

Moreover, 8,300 people have been evacuated from Shahbandar and Sujawar and 5,000 persons each from Jati and Gharo, local authorities said.