A man carries a child from a truck during an evacuation before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023.
A man carries a child from a truck during an evacuation before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau in the western state of Gujarat, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
India

India's Gujarat evacuates 75,000 as cyclone nears

Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated over 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected to whirl in from the Arabian Sea.
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By Sumit Khanna

AHMEDABAD, India (Reuters) - Authorities in India's western state of Gujarat evacuated more than 75,000 people from vulnerable coastal communities as cyclone Biparjoy was expected whirl in from the Arabian Sea to make landfall by Thursday evening.

Early on Thursday, the cyclone was centred 180 km (112 miles) off Jakhau port in Gujarat and 270 km (168 miles) off Karachi in Pakistan, the India Meteorological Department said.

The storm appeared to have lost some of its intensity, and is expected to have a maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph (71-78 miles per hour) gusting to 140 kmph, down from the 150 kmph that the IMD had estimated on Wednesday.

People sit in a bus during an evacuation as a police officer does a headcount before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau, in the western state of Gujarat, in Jakhau, India, June 14, 2023.
People sit in a bus during an evacuation as a police officer does a headcount before the arrival of cyclone Biparjoy in Jakhau, in the western state of Gujarat, in Jakhau, India, June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas

The storm appeared to have lost some of its intensity, and is expected to have a maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph (71-78 miles per hour) gusting to 140 kmph, down from the 150 kmph that the IMD had estimated on Wednesday.

A man with a mobile phone takes a picture of rising waves, before the arrival of the cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea, at Clifton beach in Karachi, Pakistan June 14, 2023.
A man with a mobile phone takes a picture of rising waves, before the arrival of the cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea, at Clifton beach in Karachi, Pakistan June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

"We have evacuated more than 75,000 persons from the eight coastal districts in Gujarat that are expected to be impacted by the cyclone," Kamal Dayani, additional chief secretary in Gujarat’s revenue department said.

Temporary thatched houses could be completely destroyed while standing crops, plantations and roads were expected to face major damage, the IMD said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that railways could also face disruption.

A view of anchored boats before the arrival of cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea, in Karachi, Pakistan June 14, 2023.
A view of anchored boats before the arrival of cyclonic storm Biparjoy over the Arabian Sea, in Karachi, Pakistan June 14, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

Pakistan's Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said on Wednesday, Karachi, a port city of 20 million people, was not under immediate threat, but emergency measures were being taken to deal with winds and rain that are expected to batter the economic hub.

(Reporting by Sumit Khanna; Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Simon Cameron-Moore)

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