Cyclone Biparjoy to make landfall in Gujarat today: 76 trains cancelled, 50k people evacuated, Indian Navy on standby

Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall near the coasts of Gujarat, Kutch to be more precise and then move towards Pakistan. Various safe precautions have been implemented including evacuation of the coasts and more.  As per IMD's alerts, the severe cyclonic storm has the potential to completely uproot thatched houses in several districts of Kutch. Biparjoy is the only third cyclone in about 60 years to hit the western coast. 

See here the top updates on cyclone Biparjoy:

1. The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Jakhau Port in the Kutch district on Thursday evening as a "very severe cyclonic storm" with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

2. Biparjoy was set to change the path on Wednesday and begin moving north-eastwards towards Kutch and Saurashtra. 

3. According to SEOC, 54 talukas across the affected districts received more than 10 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till Wednesday morning. Khambhaliya taluka of Devbhumi Dwarka district received the highest 121 mm of rainfall, followed by Dwarka (92 mm) and Kalyanpur (70 mm). 

4. The Western Railway said 76 trains have been cancelled, 36 short-terminated and 31 short-originated as a precautionary step.

pic.twitter.com/XcJnnDgsN6

— Western Railway (@WesternRly) June 14, 2023

5. Four Indian Navy ships with HADR bricks embarked are on standby along with five relief teams each at Porbandar and Okha. 15 relief teams at Valsura are on standby.

6. Daman DC General/Sub DM has issued an order under section 144 of CrPC prohibiting the movement of people on beaches, promenades and other places near the coast, ANI reported. 

7. Authorities have shifted nearly 50,000 people from coastal areas of Gujarat as a precaution and deployed disaster management units for relief and rescue. 

8. A 90m high guy rope-supported steel tower in Dwarka has been dismantled to prevent any mishappening and to minimise the damages that may occur to life and property in surrounding areas. 

A 90m high Guy rope supported steel #akashvani tower in Dwarka, Gujarat has been dismantled as a precautionary measure in view of the impending #CycloneBiparjoy.

This has been done to prevent any mishap and minimize damages to life and property in surrounding areas.… pic.twitter.com/AZxCzrDBQg

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) June 14, 2023

9. The IMD has also forecast light to moderate rainfall with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over north Gujarat districts and adjoining south Rajasthan on Friday. 

10. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled Odisha visit on June 17 has been put on hold in view of Cyclone Biparjoy’s possible landfall in Gujarat on Thursday, a senior BJP leader said, PTI reported.

11. The local administration has also decided to keep the famous Dwarkadhish temple in Devbhumi Dwarka shut for devotees in view of Biparjoy. 

12. India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said Cyclone Biparjoy has completely detached itself from the monsoonal flow and will have no impact on the progress of the seasonal rainfall system, PTI reported.

13.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday spoke to the three service chiefs and reviewed the preparations of the armed forces to deal with the impact of the cyclone. After reviewing the preparations, Singh said the armed forces are ready to provide every possible assistance to civil authorities in tackling any situation or contingency that may arise due to the cyclone. 

Read: 3.5 magnitude earthquake hits Kutch as Gujarat braces for Cyclone Biparjoy's landfall

(With inputs from wires)