New Delhi: Cyclone Biparjoy is expected to make landfall in Gujarat and southern sections of Pakistan on Thursday, prompting the India Meteorological Department (IMD) to issue a red alert for the Saurashtra and Kutch coasts. Maximum sustained wind speeds of 125–135 km/h (78–84 mph) are predicted at the time of landfall, with gusts as high as 150 km/h.

On Thursday, extremely heavy rain is forecast in the districts of Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, and Jamnagar; heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the districts of Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi, and Junagarh; and heavy rain is anticipated in the remaining districts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat.

The IMD has alerted stopping fishing throughout the south and north beaches of Gujarat as well as evacuating residents from the coastal regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.

Saurashtra is home to the world's largest oil refinery complex, Jamnagar Refinery, which is operated by Reliance Industries, as well as Mundra and Kandla, two of India's largest ports in the Gulf of Kutch.

Gujarat Pipavav Port Limited stated in a stock exchange filing on Monday that operations at the port had been suspended since Saturday late evening due to "current severe weather conditions."

Gujarat's Home Minister Harsh Sanghvi is evaluating the area of Devbhumi Dwarka's preparedness to handle the approaching cyclone. Devbhumi Dwarka officials on the shore reported that 1,300 people had so far been relocated to safer areas.

Bhupendra Patel, the chief minister, announced in a tweet that seven teams from India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and twelve teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been dispatched in the districts that the storm may touch. 

Heavy rain and strong winds will strike almost a dozen coastal Gujarat districts, although some of those regions' scant populations would help to mitigate the damage, an IMD official told Reuters.

The Centre has instructed Gujarat's administration to control onshore and offshore activities and organise evacuations from the Kutch, Devbhumi Dwarka, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Rajkot, Junagadh, and Morbi districts from the coastal regions of Saurashtra and Kutch.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan issued guidelines for disaster management, asking all parties to ensure vigilant monitoring of the cyclone's development and proactive coordination through respective emergency operation centres as southern and southeastern parts of the country are likely to be affected.

On June 13, cyclone Biparjoy is anticipated to have an influence on Sindh's southern and south-eastern regions, according to the NDMA. The second most populous province in Pakistan is Sindh. In order to effectively reach coastal communities and inform the public about the potential effects of the cyclone, emergency evacuation procedures, and safety precautions, the NDMA has recommended using a variety of communication channels, including television, radio, social media, and SMS alerts.

Cyclone Biparjoy: 'IMD issues heavy rain alert in many states today

BIPARJOY, cyclonic storm, could push back onset of monsoon by another 2–3 days