The cyclone was named by Bangladesh. 'Biparjoy' means "disaster" or "calamity" in Bengali.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday that the "very severe" cyclonic storm Biparjoy is expected to intensify further in the next 24 hours and will move north-northeastwards.Here are 10 points on this big story:
The storm, which is currently located about 690 km west of Goa, 640 km west-southwest of Mumbai and 640 km south-southwest of Porbandar, is packing winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the storm could cause heavy rain and strong winds in coastal areas of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.
"Very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy at 2330 hrs IST of 9th June over east-central Arabian Sea near lat 16.0N & long 67.4E. Likely to intensify further & move north-northeastwards during the next 24hrs," IMD said in a tweet.
Tithal Beach, a popular tourist destination in Gujarat's Valsad on the Arabian Sea coast, has been closed to tourists until June 14 due to high waves and strong winds in anticipation of Cyclone Biparjoy.
"We told the fishermen not to venture into the sea and they all have come back. People will be shifted to the village at the seashore if needed. Shelters have been made for them. We have closed Tithal Beach for tourists till June 14," Valsad Tehsildar TC Patel said as quoted by news agency ANI.
The IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the seas off the coast of Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep. A yellow alert was issued for eight districts in Kerala on Friday.
The cyclone is centered about 640 kilometers south-southwest of Gujarat's coastal Porbandar district. Fishermen have been asked to return to the coast from deep sea areas, and ports were instructed to hoist the Distant Warning signal (DW II).
"It may reach South Gujarat on Sunday or Monday. Presently, we are on alert mode and all officials were advised not to leave the headquarter. The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams have been kept on standby mode while people of the coastal village had been alerted. If needed, they were told, they will have to be shifted to safer places," Surat's Collector BK Vasava toldIndian Express."Due to the cyclone, the wind speed may go up to 45 to 55 knots on June 10,11 and 12. The speed may also touch the 65-knot mark. The cyclone would bring light rains and thunderstorms in coastal regions, including south Gujarat and Saurashtra. All ports have been asked to hoist Distant Warning signal," said Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD's Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad, as quoted by news agency ANI.
In accordance with international maritime law, ports are required to hoist signals to alert vessels of impending adverse weather conditions. This is done to ensure the safety of maritime activities and to protect vessels and their crews.
The cyclone was named Biparjoy by Bangladesh. The name means "disaster" or "calamity" in Bengali. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) adopted the name in 2020 for all tropical cyclones that form over the North Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
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