Cyclone Biparjoy makes landfall, longest-lived storm in Arabian Sea

After a long run of around 10 days, tropical storm ‘Biparjoy’ finally made landfall over the Saurashtra-Kutch Coast and adjoining Pakistani coast between Mandvi, Gujarat and Karachi coast near Jakhua port on the evening of June 15. At the time of crossing the coast, Biparjoy was sustaining the strength of a very severe cyclone, with a wind speed of 115-125 kmph, gusting up to 140 kmph.  

Image Credit: IMD

By midnight, Biparjoy had weakened into a severe cyclonic storm, but it continued to retain its deadly streak as winds were still running up to 110-120 kmph. According to meteorologists, the storm will continue to retain its strength till noon of June 16, thereafter weakening into a cyclonic storm and deep depression by the evening.

Biparjoy is now heading toward Rajasthan, triggering squally winds 45-55 kmph gusting upto 80 kmph over the southern areas of the state.

According to country’s nodal weather agency, India Meteorological Department, Biparjoy is the longest-lived cyclone in the Arabian Sea, overtaking Cyclone Kyarr in 2019 that lasted nine days and 15 hours.

Cyclone Biparjoy is the second strongest storm to hit Gujarat after Cyclone Tauktae that had formed in May 2021. However, the former was weaker than the latter, which had made landfall as an extremely severe cyclone. Tauktae had made the record of being the strongest cyclone to hit Gujarat since 1998. Cyclone Tauktae claimed 169 lives in India, leaving approximately 80 others injured and around 81 missing.

Reportedly, over 170,000 people were evacuated across India and Pakistan before the landfall. Biparjoy brought back grim memories from 25 years ago when another cyclone hit the Gujarat coast, which is said to claim around 4,000 lives.

Global warming led unusual ocean heating fueled Cyclone Biparjoy

Warm sea surface temperatures have contributed to the cyclone’s unusually long lifespan, which had first made an appearance on June 4. Unusual warm ocean waters led to the rapid intensification of Cyclone Biaprjoy not just once but twice. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), Biparjoy’s wind speed increased from 55 to 139 kilometers per hour between June 6 and 7. The cyclone intensified again between June 9 and 10, when its wind speed increased from 120 to 196 kilometers per hour, turning it into a category 3 storm. This windspeed was sustained into June 11. 

“The reason why Biporjoy has lasted so long is that it is feeding on warm waters in the Arabian Sea. It is an example of how climate change, especially warming in the upper ocean, is contributing to cyclones moving slower and lasting longer,” said Raghu Murtugudde, a visiting professor, Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay.