Cyclone biporjoy likely to hit India's west coast, south Pakistan on Thursday
A storm off India's west coast has strengthened to become a powerful cyclone and could hit India's western state of Gujarat and southern parts of Pakistan this week, the weather department said.
The cyclone, named Biporjoy, is expected to make landfall on Thursday afternoon between Mandvi in Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan with a maximum sustained wind speed of 125-135 km (78-84 miles) per hour, gusting up to 150 km per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
India's weather office has advised fishing communities to halt operations and the evacuation of people from the coastal areas of Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat.
Seven teams of India's National Disaster Response Force and 12 teams of State Disaster Response Force have been deployed in the districts likely to be affected by the storm, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said in a tweet.
In Pakistan, the National Disaster Management Authority said instructions are being given to take precautionary measures in southern and southeastern parts of the country that are likely to be affected.
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