India and Pakistan are braced for the first severe cyclone this year expected to hit their coastal regions later this week, as authorities halted fishing activities, deployed rescue personnel and announced evacuation plans for those at risk.
From the Arabian Sea, Cyclone Biparjoy is aiming at Pakistan’s southern Sindh province and the coastline of the western Indian state of Gujarat.
It is forecast to make landfall on Thursday and could reach maximum wind speeds of up to 124mph, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
Disaster management personnel have been deployed to densely populated regions and cities that will be in the storm’s path. The cyclone will likely affect Karachi in Pakistan as well as two of India’s largest ports, Mundra and Kandla, in Gujarat state.
Murad Ali Shah, the top elected official in Sindh province, visited the coastal areas and asked authorities to evacuate an estimated 80,000 people.
At a meeting in Karachi, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, the head of the National Disaster Management Authority, was informed that the cyclone was located about 300 miles south of Karachi on Monday afternoon.
Sherry Rehman, minister for climate change and environmental coordination, said that all relevant departments of Sindh and Balochistan provinces have been placed on high alert.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority asked airport officials to immediately take steps to ensure the safety of aircraft and cargo.
Biparjoy is the first severe cyclone to hit Pakistan since the devastating floods last year left 1,739 people dead and 30 billion dollars (£24 billion) in losses.
India’s army, navy and coast guard were assisting in preparations in Gujarat, the state’s chief minister Bhupendra Patel said in a tweet.
Mr Patel said people living in low-lying regions will be evacuated if necessary.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held a meeting with top officials to review disaster preparations.
Experts say climate change is leading to an increase in cyclones in the Arabian Sea region, making preparations for natural disasters all the more urgent.
Raghu Murtugudde, Earth system scientist at the University of Maryland, said: “The oceans have become warmer already on account of climate change.”
He said a recent study shows that the Arabian Sea has warmed up by almost 1.2C since March this year, making conditions favourable for severe cyclones.
UN climate reports have also stated that the intensity of tropical cyclones would increase in a warmer climate. A report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2019 found that since the 1950s, the fastest sea surface warming has occurred in the Indian Ocean.
