Gujarat Cyclone's Devastating Track Leaves 900 Towns Without Power: 10 Updates

New Delhi: On Thursday, Cyclone Biparjoy wrecked havoc in Gujarat, uprooting trees, damaging numerous cars and homes, and leaving two people dead and 22 injured. By evening over Rajasthan, the cyclone is projected to weaken into a depression.

According to the latest advisory from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Biprajoy is expected to gradually diminish into a cyclonic storm over Gujarat's Saurashtra and Kutch districts around noon and then into a deep depression around nightfall.

According to state officials, the storm's strong winds and heavy rain caused over 524 trees and electric poles to fall in various locations throughout Gujarat, cutting off power to almost 940 villages. On Thursday, news agency PTI reported that a goat herder and his son perished while attempting to free their stranded animals in Bhavnagar district.

Cyclone Biparjoy, which had been churning across the Arabian Sea for more than ten days, made landfall on Thursday evening near Jakhau Port in Gujarat with winds between 125 and 140 kmph, but it had already begun to lose strength. By 2:30 am on Friday, it was bringing with it winds of up to 110 km/h, with gusts as high as 100 km/h.

According to IMD Director General Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, extremely heavy rainfall is predicted in Rajasthan on June 16 and 17, as the storm advances towards the northwest.

The meteorological service has already issued warnings of significant tree and branch damage to temporary housing structures from high winds, high tides, and heavy rainfall.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel spoke on the phone earlier in the day to assess the situation after the cyclone made landfall. PM Modi also inquired about the specifics of the safeguards in place in Gir Forest for wild animals, including as lions.

According to the Gujarati government, 94,000 people left coastal and low-lying districts to seek shelter. The train services have also been impacted by the typhoon. According to Western Railway, around 99 trains that originate or terminate in Gujarat's Biparjoy-affected areas would continue to be cancelled or short-terminated.

In coastal districts, there are 115 teams from the state's road and building department, 18 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 12 teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and 397 teams from the state's electrical department.

Fishing operations have been put on hold until tomorrow, and ships are anchored in ports. On Thursday, pilgrims were unable to enter two well-known temples: Somnath Temple in Gir Somnath region and Dwarkadhish Temple in Devbhumi Dwarka.

Jamnagar Airport in Gujarat has banned all commercial activity until Friday. According to airport officials, the diesel and petrol needed to run the airport in an emergency has been stored.