Indian weather forecasters have warned that Cyclone Biparjoy, whose name means "disaster" in Bengali, is likely to destroy homes and down power lines as it passes through the western state of Gujarat.
Grey skies as Cyclone Biparjoy hits the coast of India and Pakistan. Photo: Reuters
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in a bulletin that the cyclone made landfall on the coast with winds of 125 km/h and gusts of up to 140 km/h at 6:30 pm local time on Thursday.
It is forecast to maintain its current intensity until midnight, with a 2-metre storm surge wreaking havoc on low-lying areas until the eye of the storm passes the coast.
"This is the first time I have experienced a cyclonic storm. This is nature, we cannot fight it," said Bhai, a father of three boys aged 8 to 15 in a small house.
Low-lying roads began flooding Thursday afternoon after hours of rain. Strong winds whipped up patches of water that reduced visibility with a gray fog.
Almost all shops have been closed in the affected areas. Indian meteorologists have warned of the potential for “widespread damage”, including destruction of crops and infrastructure.
The Gujarat state government said 94,000 people had been moved from coastal and low-lying areas to shelters. Pakistan's climate change minister, Sherry Rehman, said about 82,000 people had been moved from the southeastern coastal areas of the country, facing "a cyclone the likes of which Pakistan has never seen".
Many of the affected areas were also inundated by catastrophic monsoon floods last year, which left a third of Pakistan under water, damaged 2 million homes and killed more than 1,700 people. “This is all a result of climate change,” Rehman told reporters.
Cyclonic storms are a frequent and deadly threat along the northern Indian Ocean coastline, home to tens of millions of people. Scientists have warned that storms are becoming more powerful as the world warms due to climate change.
Bui Huy (according to AFP, CNA, Reuters)
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