KARACHI – Pakistani officials breathed a sigh of relief on Friday as thevery severe cyclonic storm (VSCS) Biparjoy made landfall along the IndianGujarat coast and the Pakistan-India border, sparing Sindh’s coastline fromsignificant damage. Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman confirmed thatPakistan remained safe from the cyclone, and a meeting was scheduled todiscuss the next steps.
Authorities in both India and Pakistan had evacuated over 180,000individuals in recent days to prepare for the cyclone’s arrival, which wasexpected to impact coastal regions of both countries. Biparjoy, meaning‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali, struck near Jakhau, a port in India’sGujarat, causing damage to roofs, trees, and electric poles. Fortunately,no casualties were reported.
According to Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA),Biparjoy was expected to weaken further. It was projected to movenortheastward and transform into a cyclonic storm by the morning of June16, eventually weakening into a depression by the evening of the same day.As the threat subsided, fishermen who had been relocated due to the cyclonewere allowed to return home.
Meanwhile, light rain and winds persisted in certain districts such asSujawal, but the storm threat had come to an end according to localofficials. Evacuated residents who had been staying in relief camps wereset to return to their homes. The extent of damage caused by the strongwinds and rain was being assessed.
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The NDMA reported that the cyclone’s current position was approximately 255kilometers from Karachi, 165 kilometers from Thatta, and 125 kilometersfrom Keti Bandar. The maximum sustained surface winds were between 100 to120 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching 130 kilometers per hour aroundthe center of the system. The expected maximum wave height in the NortheastArabian Sea was around 10 to 15 feet.
