Report by Shreya Tibrewala
Cyclone Biparjoy, which made landfall on 15th June, 2023 on the Gujarat coast, has now moved to Rajasthan and is leading to rains in the region.
We present a consolidated update.
What is Cyclone Biparjoy and How Did It Get Its Name
Cyclone Biparjoy is categorised as an extremely severe cyclonic storm. This cyclone formed over the east-central Arabian Sea. The name ‘Biparjoy’ was suggested by Bangladesh and the word means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali.
Route & Effects of Cyclone Biparjoy
This cyclonic storm made landfall on the Gujarat coast on 15th June, 2023.
Strong winds and heavy rains entered the Kutch and Saurashtra coasts. Minor effects have also been felt in neighbouring states like Maharashtra, especially Mumbai. Pakistan also experienced strong winds as a result of the cyclone’s landfall.
Route of the cyclone
After landfall, the cyclone crossed Gujarat and moved to Rajasthan.
Several areas of Jalore and Barmer districts in Rajasthan witnessed heavy rains due to the storm.
It has now weakened into a deep depression.
As a result of this cyclonic storm, there was flooding in the Saraswati River – in the area around Koteshwar Mahadev temple, near Shakti Peeth Ambaji in Banaskantha.
The cyclone is currently passing across southern Rajasthan. Rajasthan’s three districts — Jalore, Sirohi, and Barmer — are experiencing flood-like conditions as a result of severe rainfall initiated by this cyclone.
As we can see in the most recent satellite image above, the cyclone is now just a mass of clouds over Southern Rajasthan.
This severe cyclonic storm had also influenced high tidal waves on the Mumbai coastlines and brought high winds to the city.
What is the government doing for Cyclone Biparjoy ?
On Tuesday, two days before the expected impact of the cyclone, authorities shifted 30,000 people from the coastal locations of Kutch to temporary shelters. For rescue operations, Gujarat sent out 21 National Disaster Response Force teams and 13 State Disaster Response Force teams.
All images from IMD, Govt. of India