ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman said on Thursday Cyclone Biparjoy, which was heading toward the border region between Pakistan and India, had slowed down but remained intense at its core, adding it was not expected to make landfall before the night.
Rehman had mentioned earlier that Biparjoy, classified as a “very severe cyclonic storm,” would hit the coastal belt around noon. Due to the anticipated heavy rain and windstorm in the affected areas, Pakistani authorities issued a warning and evacuated over 81,000 people to relief camps until the weather system subsides.
In a Twitter post, the minister announced, “Cyclone Biparjoy has slowed down, but [its] core remains intense. It will not make landfall before nightfall now. More information will be shared soon by NDMA [the National Disaster Management Authority].”
Rehman previously stated on Twitter that all necessary arrangements to safeguard lives in the affected areas of Pakistan had been made.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formed a climate committee, led by her and comprising relevant officials and representatives from federal and provincial institutions, to handle any potential emergencies arising from Biparjoy and continuously monitor the storm.
Authorities have repeatedly warned residents living near coastal regions to take precautionary measures and urged fishermen not to venture into the sea. The residents of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest and most densely populated city, have been advised to avoid beaches as well.
A fisherman sits on the bow of a moored fishing boat at a fishing village on the outskirts of Karachi on June 14, 2023, ahead of cyclone Biporjoy landfall. (AFP)
Meanwhile, in India’s western state of Gujarat, the government has relocated over 75,000 people to safe locations.
Kamal Dayani, additional chief secretary in the state’s revenue department, said, “We have evacuated more than 75,000 persons from the eight coastal districts in Gujarat that are expected to be impacted by the cyclone.”
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated on Wednesday that temporary thatched houses could be completely destroyed while standing crops, plantations, and roads are expected to suffer significant damage. Railway services could also face disruptions.
Tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea, like this one, have become more frequent in the past couple of decades. Researchers attribute the increased frequency of typhoons, including this one, to warming sea surface temperatures in the region, amplified by climate change.
