Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall in Gujarat, says IMD

Cyclone Biparjoy: Till now, the authorities have shifted nearly one lakh people in eight coastal districts of Gujarat to temporary shelters.

Cyclone Biparjoy has begun its landfall in Gujarat and the process will continue till midnight, the Indian Meteorological Department said on Thursday. Follow LIVE updates

A view of Gomti Ghat as VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm) Biparjoy to cross Saurashtra & Kutch & adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi & Karachi near Jakhau Port by today evening, in Dwarka on Thursday. (ANI )

"It will hit the coast between Karachi and Mandvi and close to Jakhau port of Gujarat. This is now located about 70 kilometres away from Jakhau port in the Arabian Sea. It is moving at a speed of about 15 kmph...Hence, the landfall process has commenced over the coastal districts of Saurashtra and Kutch...Upto midnight, the landfall process will continue..," Dr Mrityunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD, told ANI.

Prior to the landfall, the ‘wall cloud’ region of the cyclone had touched the Saurashtra coast as it headed for landfall near Jakhau port in Kutch district.

`Wall clouds' are clouds that drop below the regular storm cloud. They are a lowering of a solid deck of clouds and indicate the beginning phase of potential funnel clouds and tornado formation.

Till now, the authorities have shifted nearly one lakh people in eight coastal districts to temporary shelters.

According to officials, 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force, 12 teams of the State Disaster Response Force as well as personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, Indian Coast Guard and Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed for relief and rescue operations.

In view of the cyclone causing huge tides, people have been barred from going near the sea, with lifeguards being deployed at all beaches.

"Of 94,427 persons evacuated so far, 46,800 were evacuated in Kutch district, followed by 10,749 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 9,942 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,822 in Rajkot, 4,864 in Junagadh, 4,379 in Porbandar and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district," the Gujarat government said in a statement.

"Those who were shifted to safer places include 8,900 children, 1,131 pregnant women and 4,697 elderly persons. A total of 1,521 shelter homes have been set up in these eight districts. Medical teams are visiting these shelters at regular intervals," the government statement said.