The extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘Cyclone Biparjoy’ weakened on Tuesday into a very severe cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

According to the weather department, the cyclone is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau port in Gujarat’s Kutch district on Thursday afternoon.

It is likely to cross Gujarat’s Saurashtra and Kutch regions as well as adjoining Pakistan coasts on Thursday, according to the IMD forecast.

Also Read: Cyclone Biparjoy rolls menacingly, sea turns rough in India | SEE PICS

Cyclone Biparjoy latest developments

  • The cyclone is expected to make landfall near the Jakhau port in Kutch district on Thursday afternoon. Efforts are underway to mitigate its impact through evacuation of people and suspension of activities in port areas.
  • Evacuation efforts will pick up on Tuesday, with the Gujarat government aiming to evacuate people within 10 km from the coast, PTI reported.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a meeting to review the preparedness in the wake of the approaching cyclone. He said escue teams were ensuring the safe evacuation of people living in vulnerable locations in the path of Cyclone Biparjoy.
  • As powerful cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ moves closer to the Gujarat coast, the Western Railway has short-terminated more than 50 trains heading to coastal areas of the state and is considering cancellation of several trains over the next three days, a release said. The passengers hit by cancellations will be eligible for refunds as per the existing rules.

Also Read: Cyclone Biparjoy: Indian Railways braces for impact! Announces safety measures in case of emergencies, possible aftermath

  • The Indian Coast Guard evacuated 50 personnel on Tuesday morning from jack-up rig ‘Key Singapore’ operating off Dwarka coast near Okha, news agency ANI reported.

Police have also been deployed near the coast in Gujarat’s Navsari to prevent people from venturing into the sea.

  • Apart from Gujarat, preparations have been made in Mumbai as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed two additional teams in the city as a precautionary measure. NDRF teams have been stationed in the Andheri and Kanjurmarg areas in the western and eastern suburbs, respectively.
  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday said that ‘Biparjoy’ is on its way to becoming the cyclone with the longest lifespan in the Arabian Sea. It will also be the third cyclone to make landfall in Gujarat in June since 1965. The cyclone developed over the southeast Arabian Sea at 5.30 am on June 6.
  • Rain is expected in parts of northwest India, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and west Uttar Pradesh, on June 15, the day Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall in Gujarat.