Biparjoy, a tropical cyclone in the middle of the Arabian Sea, is moving north but is expected to take a hard right turn and make landfall near the border of Pakistan and India in the Kutch district of the state of Gujarat over the next two days. The winds near the center of the storm were over 100 miles per hour on Tuesday afternoon, making it the equivalent of a Category 2 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean.
Source: Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
Note: All times are India Standard Time, which is 9.5 hours ahead of Eastern time.
By Madison Dong
The storm is forecast to weaken to the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall but will still reach wind speeds over 74 m.p.h. Tropical storm-force winds (winds over 39 m.p.h.) extend at least 120 miles from the center of the storm and will affect a broader region of both Pakistan and India.
Another concern as the storm approaches land will be a storm surge. Tide levels are forecast to be six to 10 feet above normal in areas near and just south of the cyclone’s center.
After the storm moves inland it is expected to quickly weaken as it accelerates into northern India.
Tropical cyclones in the Arabian Sea, like this one, have become more frequent the past couple of decades because of warming sea surface temperatures in the region, enhanced by a warming climate, according to researchers.
Source: Satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, captured on Tuesday at noon Eastern time.
