Cyclone Biparjoy threatens India and Pakistan, forcing evacuations and port closures

The first severe cyclone of the year is set to hit India and Pakistan this week, with both nations preparing for the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy as it advances from the Arabian Sea towards their coastal regions. The cyclone is targeting Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and the western Indian state of Gujarat, with major cities and ports in both countries expected to be affected.

Cyclone Biparjoy is classified as a very severe cyclonic storm and is predicted to make landfall with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kilometres (78-84 miles) per hour, gusting to 150 kilometres (93 miles) per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The storm has already claimed lives in India before reaching land, with high waves, heavy rain, and gusting winds causing destruction in Gujarat’s coastal areas.

In India, thousands of people are being evacuated from coastal areas, and fishing operations in Gujarat have been suspended until Friday. Schools in the region have also declared holidays. Gujarat is home to many offshore oil installations and major ports, most of which have been forced to suspend operations. The National Disaster Response Force and the State Disaster Response Force have deployed teams in the state for rescue work.

Reliance Industries, which operates the world’s largest refining complex in Gujarat’s Jamnagar, has declared a force majeure, suspending exports of diesel and other oil products from the state’s Sikka port due to the storm. The Adani conglomerate’s ports business, Adani Ports, has suspended vessel operations at Mundra, India’s biggest commercial port, and at Tuna port near Kandla.

In Pakistan, authorities have declared an emergency as they begin evacuating an estimated 80,000 citizens from the path of the approaching cyclone. Coastal communities in southern Sindh province are expected to suffer storm surges, with traditional mud and straw homes particularly vulnerable to disintegration in high winds. Disaster management personnel have been deployed to regions and cities that will be in the storm’s path.