India and Pakistan are gearing up for the first severe cyclone of the year, which is expected to hit South Asian countries this week.
Authorities are making emergency preparations as Cyclone Biparjoy approaches their coastal areas in the Arabian Sea.
Here’s what we know so far about the cyclone and the precautions being taken in India and Pakistan:
Where and when will the cyclone land?
Cyclone Biparjoy targets Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh and the coastline of the western Indian state of Gujarat from the Arabian Sea.
The cyclone is likely to affect Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city of 20 million, as well as two of India’s largest ports, Mundra and Kandla, in the state of Gujarat, among other areas in both countries.
India’s weather bureau said on Tuesday that the cyclone is expected to hit the coasts of Pakistan and India on Thursday evening.
How strong is Cyclone Biparjoy?
Cyclone Biparjoy is classified as a very severe cyclonic storm.
It is predicted to land with maximum sustained winds of 125-135 km (78-84 miles) per hour, with gusts of up to 150 km (93 miles) per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
It has already killed people in India before it made landfall.
High waves in the Arabian Sea accompanied by a heavy downpour and gusts of wind pounded the coastal areas of Gujarat, uprooted trees and resulted in a collapse of the wall, killing three people in the Kutch and Rajkot districts of the state, according to authorities came.
Police in Mumbai, India’s western metropolis south of Gujarat, said four boys drowned on Juhu beach on Monday evening.
How is India preparing?
Thousands of people are being evacuated from coastal areas and fishing activities in Gujarat have been suspended until Friday while schools have declared holidays.
Gujarat is home to many offshore oil installations and major ports in the country and most of them have been forced to suspend their operations.
According to the government, 21 teams from the National Disaster Response Force and 13 teams from the State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the state for rescue work.
The ports of Kandla and Mundra in Gujarat have suspended operations, the state government said. Other ports including Bedi, Navlakhi, Porbandar, Okha, Pipavav and Bhavnagar are also reportedly closed due to the cyclone.
Reliance Industries, which operates the world’s largest refinery complex at Jamnagar in Gujarat, declared force majeure and suspended exports of diesel and other oil products from the state port of Sikka due to the storm.
The port authority of the Adani conglomerate, Adani Ports, said it suspended shipping operations on Monday at Mundra, India’s largest commercial port with the country’s largest coal import terminal, and also at Tuna Port near Kandla.
According to Shelf Drilling’s website, the Indian Coast Guard has evacuated 50 personnel from an oil rig off the coast of Gujarat, called Key Singapore, owned by Dubai-based Shelf Drilling.
What is Pakistan doing?
In Pakistan, parts of coastal communities in southern Sindh province are expected to experience storm surges.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department has warned that traditional mud and straw houses, housing Pakistan’s poorest, will be vulnerable to disintegration in high winds.
Authorities said an emergency has been declared as they began evacuation efforts to move it estimated 80,000 citizens from the path of the approaching cyclone.
Disaster management personnel have been deployed to regions and cities that will come in the storm’s path.