Heavy rains, gusty winds: What to expect as Cyclone Biparjoy intensifies in next 24 hours

The “very severe” cyclonic storm Biparjoy is likely to intensify further in the next 24 hours and head towards north-northeastwards, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday (10 June). The storm could bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds in several Indian states. Cyclone Biparjoy, this year’s first storm that took shape over the Arabian Sea, will gradually proceed north-northwestwards in the next three days, as per the IMD. Which states will be affected and what to expect as Cyclone Biparjoy strengthens in the coming days? Let’s take a closer look. Heavy rains, squally wind speed Heavy showers and strong winds are expected in coastal areas of Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra due to the cyclone’s impact. The cyclonic storm lay centred at 700 km west of Goa, 630 km west-southwest of Maharashtra’s Mumbai and 620 km south-southwest of Porbandar in Gujarat, as per the IMD bulletin issued on 10 June at 9 am.

According to a Mid-Day report, the coastal town of Ganpatipule in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri witnessed huge waves on Thursday, leading to water entering some shops. A high tide warning was issued on Friday and tourists have been advised not to venture into the sea, as per the report. [caption id=“attachment_12719442” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Parts of several states are expected to witness rainfall in the coming days. AFP (Representational Image)[/caption] ‘Biparjoy’, meaning “disaster" or “calamity" in Bangla, was named by Bangladesh. It is likely to make landfall in Pakistan, reported India Today. Eight districts in Kerala, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Kozhikode, and Kannur, notified a yellow alert on Friday. As per The Times of India (TOI) report, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam and Idukki could witness isolated heavy downpours this weekend. Thunderstorms and lightning, along with gusty wind speeds reaching 30-40 kmph, are likely to affect one or two places in the southern state till Tuesday, the report added.

The fishermen have been asked not to set out into the seas off the coast of Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep.

Heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places over Lakshadweep during the next two days. ALSO READ: Why El Niño is not good for monsoon rains in India Gujarat on alert The IMD warned that sea conditions off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts are expected to be “rough” on 10 June, with squally wind speed reaching 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph. The weather agency has advised fishermen out at sea to return to the coast. Speaking to ANI, Manorama Mohanty, director of IMD’s Meteorological Centre in Ahmedabad, said: “Due to the cyclone, the wind speed may go up to 45 to 55 knots on 10, 11 and 12 June. The speed may also touch the 65-knot mark. The cyclone would bring light rains and thunderstorms in coastal regions, including south Gujarat and Saurashtra. All ports have been asked to hoist Distant Warning signal”. [caption id=“attachment_12719462” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Fishermen in Gujarat, Kerala and some other states have been advised to stay away from the sea. AP (Representational Image)[/caption] In view of the cyclonic storm, Tithal Beach in Gujarat’s Valsad has been closed to tourists till 14 June. “We told the fishermen not to venture into the sea and they all have come back. People will be shifted to the village at the seashore if needed. Shelters have been made for them. We have closed Tithal Beach for tourists till 14 June,” Valsad tehsildar TC Patel was quoted by the news agency ANI. Surat also issued an alert in 42 coastal villages in Majura, Olpad, and Choryasi talukas. “The cyclone is presently over 800 km far from Porbandar and is slowly moving ahead. It may reach South Gujarat on Sunday or Monday. Presently, we are on alert mode and all officials were advised not to leave the headquarter. The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams have been kept on standby mode while people of the coastal village had been alerted. If needed, they were told, they will have to be shifted to safer places,” Surat in charge collector BK Vasava told Indian Express. What about the monsoon? Delayed by Cyclone Biparjoy, the southwest monsoon finally arrived in India with the onset in Kerala on Thursday. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told TOI earlier that the monsoon rains were held up due to the “formation of a low-pressure system in the Arabian Sea, which turned into the cyclonic storm Biparjoy. As the monsoon advances, very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Assam and Meghalaya is likely on 12-13 June. While Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya could report isolated heavy showers over the next five days, parts of Manipur and Mizoram are expected to on 10 and 12 June. The IMD also predicted very heavy rains for isolated places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim from 11-13 June. Isolated heavy rainfall over Andaman and Nicobar Islands could occur on 10-11 June. With inputs from Reuters  Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook ,  Twitter  and  Instagram .