Cyclone Biparjoy: IMD asks for total suspension of fishing operations over east, central & northeast Arabian Sea today, tomorrow

The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Biparjoy over Northeast Arabian Sea has moved nearly northwestwards with a speed of five kilometers per hour during past six hours. It lay centered about 290 kilometres southwest of Jakhau Port in Gujarat, 300 kilometres west-southwest of Devbhumi Dwarka, 310 kilometres westsouthwest of Naliya, 350 kilometres west of Porbandar and 370 kilometres south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan).

IMD said, It is very likely to move nearly north-northeastwards and cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by tomorrow evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 125 to 135 kilometers per hour gusting to 150 kilometers per hour.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places is expected over Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagarh and Morbi districts of Saurashtra and Kutch today. The intensity of rainfall would increase tomorrow.

Gale wind speed reaching 65 to 75 kilometers per hour gusting to 85 kilometers per hour are prevailing along and off Porbandar & Devbhoomi Dwarka district coasts.

It would become 125 to 135 kilometers per hour gusting to 150 kilometers per hour from tomorrow morning for subsequent 12 hours.

Sea condition will be phenomenal over northeast and adjoining eastcentral Arabian Sea till tomorrow evening and rough to very rough over adjoining northwest Arabian Sea and rest parts of eastcentral Arabian Sea.

Along and off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts, sea condition is likely to be rough to very rough till today morning and high to phenomenal thereafter till tomorrow evening.

Storm surge of about 2 to 3 metres above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate the low lying areas of Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagarh and Morbi districts during the time of landfall. The astronomical tides along these districts could be upto 3 to 6 meters in different places.

IMD has asked for total suspension of fishing operations over eastcentral, adjoining Westcentral Arabian Sea and over northeast Arabian Sea today and tomorrow. Those out at sea have been advised to return to coast. It has asked for judicious regulation of offshore and onshore activities.