Cyclone Biparjoy: Damage expected over 7 districts of Gujarat on June 15, says IMD

New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) As the very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy moves near the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that damage is expected over Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Morbi, Junagarh and Rajkot districts of Gujarat on June 15.

"Biparjoy (pronounced as '"Biporjoy') over Northeast Arabian Sea moved nearly northeastward during past six-hours and lay centred at 2:30 p.m. on June 14 over the same region near latitude 21.9 degree N and longitude 66.5 degree E, about 260 km southwest of Jakhau Port (Gujarat), 270 km west-southwest of Devbhumi Dwarka, 280 km west-southwest of Naliya, 330 km west of Porbandar, and 340 km south-southwest of Karachi (Pakistan)," said IMD in a statement.

"It would continue to move nearly northeast wards and cross Saurashtra & Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by evening of June 15 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph," it said.

The IMD further predicted that sea condition will be phenomenal over northeast Arabian Sea till June 15 evening and rough to very rough over adjoining east central Arabian Sea during the same period.

"Along and off Saurashtra and Kutch coasts the sea condition is likely to be very rough till June 14 evening and high to phenomenal thereafter till June 15 evening and would improve thereafter," said IMD while issuing storm surge warning for Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagarh and Morbi districts.

"The astronomical tides along these districts could be up to 3-6 meters in different places and damage expected in these districts on June 15," said an IMD official.

The IMD further predicted that the intensity of rainfall would increase with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy falls at isolated places very likely over Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka and Jamnagar and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagarh districts of Gujarat.

"Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over remaining districts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat region on June 15 while light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over north Gujarat and adjoining south Rajasthan on June 16 and southeast Rajasthan and adjoining North Gujarat region on June 17," said the IMD official.