Islamabad and New Delhi CNN –
Tens of thousands of people are being evacuated as India and Pakistan brace for the impact of Cyclone Biparjoy, which is expected to hit densely populated areas on the subcontinent on Thursday, putting millions of lives at risk.
Biparjoy has been moving across the northeastern Arabian Sea towards southern Pakistan and western India since late last week with winds of 160 km/h (100 mph) and gusts of up to 195 km/h (121 mph). Since Tuesday, it has weakened slightly and continues to blow at wind speeds of 150 km/h (90 mph), equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.
Landfall is expected Thursday afternoon local time, according to the India Meteorological Department, bringing triple the risk of heavy rain, damaging winds and coastal storm surges across the region.
According to local authorities, mass evacuations have begun in Pakistan’s Sindh province, taking about 60,000 people to emergency shelters. Dust clouds have engulfed some parts of the province, reducing visibility and affecting the breathing of many.
The provincial capital Karachi – Pakistan’s largest city with 22 million people – has closed malls and shops along the coast.
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Residents evacuate a coastal area of Keti Bandar ahead of the expected arrival of Cyclone Biparjoy in Pakistan’s Sindh province on June 13.
Pakistan’s national airline, PIA, has implemented a number of precautionary measures, including 24-hour security, to minimize any potential threat to life or equipment.
“I have never seen such winds in my village in my life. People are very afraid,” said Leela Ram Kohli, a Sindh resident from Badin district.
About 45,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas in the Indian state of Gujarat, officials said on Wednesday. Livestock have also been moved to higher ground, some schools have had to close and fishing has ceased.
Heavy rain warnings are in place for the northern region of Gujarat, where total rainfall can reach 25cm, causing flash floods and landslides.
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A man films the sea on June 13, ahead of Biparjoy’s arrival, at Clifton Beach in Karachi, Pakistan.
In the neighboring state of Maharashtra, home to about 27 million people and a sizable fishing community, strong winds are expected to hit parts of the financial capital Mumbai. High waves pounded coastal roads this week, turning roads into rivers.
Four boys drowned off the coast of Mumbai on Monday, Rashmi Lokhande, a senior disaster official with the regional management agency, told CNN.
Since the drownings, local authorities have stationed police officers and lifeguards on the beaches to prevent people from entering the sea.
Authorities in both countries have warned residents to seek shelter and stay safe.
Pakistani Climate Minister Sherry Rehman warned against over-hyping the storm’s slight weakening, saying on Twitter: “It’s highly unpredictable so please don’t take it lightly.”
Cyclone Biparjoy comes less than a year after record monsoon rains and melting glaciers devastated much of Pakistan, killing nearly 1,600 people.
Back then, the force of the floods swept away homes, leaving tens of thousands stranded without food or clean water and vulnerable to waterborne diseases.
An analysis of last year’s floods by the World Weather Attribution initiative found that the climate crisis had played a role. It said the crisis may have increased rainfall intensity by up to 50% compared to a five-day downpour that hit the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.
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People gather near the shore before Cyclone Biparjoy hits Clifton Beach in Karachi, Pakistan, June 13.
The analysis also found that the floods were likely an event that occurred once every 100 years, meaning there is a 1% chance of similarly heavy rainfall each year.
A 2021 study by researchers from the Shenzhen Institute of Meteorological Innovation and the Chinese University of Hong Kong and published in Frontiers in Earth Science found that tropical cyclones in Asia could be twice as destructive by the end of the century, according to scientists They say that the man-made climate crisis is already making them stronger.
This year Tropical Cyclone Tauktae, one of the strongest storms of all time, hit the west coast of India, killing at least 26 people in five states.
Tropical cyclones are among the most dangerous natural disasters. According to the World Meteorological Organization, these hurricanes have caused nearly 780,000 deaths worldwide over the past 50 years and caused economic losses worth around US$1.4 billion.