Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in western India near the Pakistan border, resulting in at least two deaths and 22 injuries. While the storm weakened after hitting the Gujarat state coast, it continues to bring strong winds and heavy rains as it moves across the region. The cyclone has caused uprooted trees, damage to infrastructure, and disrupted electricity supply in some districts.
The extent of the damage is yet to be fully assessed. Pakistan experienced less impact from the cyclone, with coastal areas of the Sindh province witnessing some flooding but successful evacuations of most residents to safe areas.
In Gujarat, India, two cattle farmers in Bhavnagar city lost their lives after being swept away while attempting to save their goats in a flooded ravine. However, no casualties were reported after the cyclone made landfall, according to the national disaster management agency chief. Over 170,000 people were evacuated from coastal regions in both India and Pakistan before the cyclone's arrival. Make-shift shelters were set up in schools and government buildings to accommodate evacuees. Cyclone Biparjoy, named after the Bengali word for "disaster," initially hit the port city of Jakhau in Gujarat with winds reaching up to 125 km/h (78 mph). The India Meteorological Department has downgraded its classification from "very severe" to "severe." Rescue operations were hampered in Gujarat's Mandvi district due to heavy rains and strong winds.
The weather office predicts heavy rainfall to continue in the neighboring Rajasthan state until Saturday as the cyclone moves northwest. Gujarat officials announced the cancellation of around 99 train services as the storm progresses across the state. Although classified as a category one storm, the least severe on the scale, Cyclone Biparjoy was anticipated to be the area's most severe storm in 25 years. Cyclones, hurricanes, and typhoons are regular and dangerous occurrences in the Indian Ocean. Rising surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea, attributed to climate change, have increased the vulnerability of surrounding regions to devastating storms. In recent weeks, heavy rains have caused fatalities in both Pakistan and India.
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