Cyclone Biparjoy causes destruction along Indian coastline

Cyclone Biparjoy has wreaked havoc on the Indian coast, leaving a destructive trail of uprooted trees and toppled power poles. Fortunately, the storm’s intensity was lower than anticipated, and there have been no immediate reports of casualties.

Prior to its landfall on Thursday evening, more than 180,000 people in Gujarat, India, and Pakistan’s neighboring Sindh province evacuated their homes to escape the path of Cyclone Biparjoy, which translates to “disaster” in Bengali.

With sustained winds reaching up to 125 kilometers (78 miles) per hour upon striking the coast, the storm weakened overnight. Indian meteorologists predicted it would further subside into a moderate low-pressure system by late Friday.

According to a spokesperson for the Gujarat government, hundreds of power poles were uprooted along the coast, resulting in widespread power outages in the affected areas. Emergency teams faced challenges reaching villages cut off by debris from hundreds of fallen trees. Fortunately, no casualties were reported overnight, as confirmed by the state’s relief commissioner.

The government of Gujarat successfully relocated over 100,000 individuals from the storm’s path before its arrival. In addition, 82,000 people in Pakistan were also moved to safety.

India’s weather bureau forecasted that Biparjoy would weaken further, with maximum sustained winds of 60 kilometers per hour expected before noon.

“Pakistan’s climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, reassured the public via Twitter that their country had largely been spared from the full force of the storm. However, residents remained cautious as heavy rainfall of up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) and storm surges up to 2.5 meters (8 feet) were anticipated in some coastal areas of Pakistan on Friday and Saturday”.

“As a precautionary measure, shops in the city of Badin, Pakistan, closed early on Thursday, and the streets emptied as night fell. The residents expressed fear and concern about the situation”.

“Abdullah Soomro, a hotel manager in Badin, described the scene as chaotic, with shops closing down early and people preferring to stay at home due to the storm’s impact”.

“Cyclones are a regular occurrence in the northern Indian Ocean, posing a significant threat to the densely populated coastal regions. Climate scientists warn that these storms are becoming more powerful due to the increasing global temperatures caused by climate change”.

“Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate researcher at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, emphasized that cyclones derive their strength from warm waters. He pointed out that the surface temperatures in the Arabian Sea have risen by 1.2 to 1.4 degrees Celsius over the past four decades, contributing to the intensification of cyclonic events”.