Evacuations underway as Cyclone Biparjoy threatens Pakistan, India
The first named storm of the year in the Arabian Sea continued its approach to land late Tuesday as residents of Pakistan and western India made last-minute preparations. Cyclone Biparjoy reached its peak strength late Monday, local time, over the open waters of the Arabian Sea, and tens of thousands have already been told to evacuate.
Ahead of the powerful storm, authorities initiated evacuation procedures to ensure the safety of residents in the storm's path. The Pakistani government, as reported by The Associated Press, has ordered over 80,000 residents to evacuate from the country's coastal province of Sindh.
As of Wednesday afternoon, local time, Biparjoy was categorized as a "very severe cyclonic storm" by the India Meteorological Department, which is equivalent in intensity to a strong Category 2 or low-end Category 3 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
While the development of the formidable Biparjoy is notable since it's the first named storm of the current cyclone season in the Arabian Sea, it is not the strongest cyclone ever witnessed in this part of the Indian Ocean basin.
"Cyclone Tauktae in 2021 was the last severe cyclone that made landfall in the same region. That cyclone claimed 174 lives and caused damage of more than $1.57 billion," the AP reported.
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This AccuWeather RealVue ™ satellite image shows Cyclone Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea late Tuesday, local time. |
Biparjoy rapidly intensified since its formation last Tuesday and has now peaked in intensity.
"As the cyclone draws closer to landfall, it is expected to slowly lose wind intensity from here on out," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said. However, despite winds being a bit less intense, they will still be strong enough to cause major damage alongside storm surge and flooding rainfall.
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The storm's projected path is toward the coastal regions between Karachi, Pakistan, and Mandvi, Gujarat, India.
People living in low-lying areas of Gujarat will be evacuated if necessary, Indian officials said according to the AP. The country's military was already making storm preparations.
View Cyclone Biparjoy's Forecast Track Map
"Heavy rainfall, damaging winds and the risk of flooding are the anticipated impacts of Biparjoy to the region," Nicholls warned.
Rain and wind were already impacting the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat as of Monday evening, local time. AccuWeather meteorologists expect 5-10 inches (130-255 mm) of rain with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 20 inches (510 mm) near landfall. Wind gusts from Biparjoy are expected to be extreme with widespread gusts of 60-75 mph (100-120 km/h) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 95 mph (150 km/h).
Nicholls said that Biparjoy could be the second strongest cyclone on record to strike Gujarat behind only Tauktae.
"If Biparjoy makes landfall in Pakistan, it would be the strongest [to make landfall] since May 20, 1999," Nicholls said. Storms were not named in the basin until 2000, he added.
Biparjoy is on track to become the first severe cyclone to hit Pakistan since devastating floods last year left 1,739 people dead in the country and caused $30 billion in losses, according to the AP.
Rain from this tropical system can reach the states of Rajasthan and western Madhya Pradesh in India this weekend as the cyclone moves inland, forecasters say.
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