Sindh is largely spared as a cyclone strikes the Gujarat coast of India.



 India's shoreline experiences winds of up to 125 kph • Biparjoy becomes the longest-lived weather system in the Arabian Sea • Experts say the storm may move toward Keti Bandar, Rajasthan Pakistan, and India's coastlines were battered by howling gales and crashing waves on Thursday as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat and was on track to reach the Keti Bandar area of Sindh early on Friday.


Pakistan's coastal areas, including Karachi, were largely spared when the cyclone struck as a Category 1 storm.


After hours of rain, low-lying roads began to flood on Thursday afternoon. Sheets of water were blown in by strong winds, creating a dull, grey mist that obscured the view.


Over 175,000 people fled the storm's predicted path, including 82,000 in Pakistan.


According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Biparjoy was also on track to surpass Kyarr, which lasted nine days and fifteen hours in 2019, as the cyclone with the longest duration in the Arabian Sea.


Biparjoy had been fed by the Arabian Sea for more than eight days as of June 14. The unusually long duration of the cyclone can be attributed to the warm sea surface temperatures.


Clifton, the Defence Housing Authority, Sharea Faisal, Keamari, and other areas of Karachi experienced brief showers.


According to Dawn.com, heavy rains began at 2 p.m. and continued intermittently throughout the day in the port town of Shah Bandar, which is 200 kilometers from Hyderabad. Seawater entered several homes.


In addition, there were reports of light showers and strong winds in Badin, Chuhar Jamali, Hyderabad, Thatta, and Sujawal.


Late on Thursday, the Gujarat coast in India was battered by strong winds, heavy rain, and high tides. According to officials quoted by Reuters, after electricity poles fell and some trees were uprooted by gusty winds, deserted coastal towns were left in the dark in parts of the state.


The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) reported that India's coast, which was directly hit by the storm, experienced more severe weather.


Keti Bandar was crossed by the system's outer periphery. Fortunately, most of Pakistan's coast remained safe. A senior PMD official stated, "We weren't expecting heavy to extreme rainfall spells along Sindh's coast."


He pointed out that this development indicated that the storm's impact would decrease even further on Friday (today), when the cyclone would gradually degrade into a low depression area, depending on the environment. He predicted that the system would probably move toward Rajasthan, India.


At around 9 p.m. on Thursday, climate minister Sherry Rehman posted a tweet stating that the cyclone had apparently made landfall in Gujarat, but that it was still far from Pakistan.


She cautioned the populace not to be alarmed despite the rough sea. Everything is ready to go. Do not venture into the water or go outside to "see the storm." She stated, "The Sindh police have better things to do right now than plead with picnickers to return to dry land."


The US Joint Tropical Storm Cautioning Center likewise said Biparjoy would keep moving for the time being into Sindh.


According to Dawn.com, the PMD's chief meteorologist, Sardar Sarfaraz, said that this weather system had caused rain and strong winds in several parts of Sindh.


He stated that as of Thursday night, the cyclone had not directly affected any Pakistani regions, but that "some of the areas in the country came under its outer periphery."


"Can't fight nature": At 6:30 p.m. local time, the storm hit the coast with winds of 125 kph and gusts of up to 140 kph, according to a bulletin from the Indian Meteorological Department.


A two-meter tidal surge was predicted to batter low-lying areas until the storm's eye crossed the coast, and it was expected to continue to strengthen until midnight.


Almost all of the stores had closed, and customers had packed the few that were still open to buy water and food supplies at the last minute.