People in Sindh’s coastal city of Keti, who braved the cyclone threat and a warning of monsoon rains, are now returning to their homes on Friday after the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) confirmed that cyclone Biparjoy has weakened.
“The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) ‘BIPARJOY’ over the northeast Arabian Sea after crossing the Indian Gujarat coast (near Jakhau port) has weakened into a Severe Cyclonic Storm (SCS),” the Met Office said in its latest advisory.
Roofs were blown off houses, and trees and electric poles were uprooted, leaving thousands without power as a severe cyclone made landfall and rain lashed both the Indian and Pakistani coasts late Thursday.
At least two people died in India’s western state of Gujarat after being swept away by flood waters just before the cyclone hit. However, in Pakistan, the cyclone had no major impact, with rain reported in some parts of the southern metropolis of Karachi, which is on high alert.
More than 180,000 people were evacuated in India and Pakistan in the last few days as authorities braced for the cyclone, named Biparjoy, which means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in the Bengali language.
The latest advisory of the PMD mentioned that the cyclone lies near latitude 23.8°N and longitude 69.4°E at a distance of 110km south of Badin, 200km southeast of Keti Bandar, and 180km southeast of Thatta.
“The associated maximum sustained surface winds are 80-100 Km/hour with sea conditions being over Northeast Arabian Sea with wave height 10-12 feet. The system is likely to weaken further into a Depression by today evening.”