Trees were uprooted, roofs were blown off houses and electric poles were knocked down as Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall in Gujarat last evening. Heavy rain continued to lash coastal Gujarat in the morning today.
Cyclone Biparjoy weakened after making landfall, with winds gusting up to 115 kilometres per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Visuals from Mandvi in Kutch district of Gujarat show heavy rain and strong winds, with multiple trees uprooted. The Mandvi beach, where an NDTV crew had been reporting since Tuesday evening, was submerged by the rising waters of the Arabian Sea around noon yesterday, prompting authorities to issue an advisory to media personnel operating in the area.
The cyclone caused severe damage, killing two people and injuring several. The cyclone uprooted trees, damaged several vehicles and houses, and forced the evacuation of thousands of people. The cyclone is expected to weaken into a depression later today over Rajasthan.
At least 22 people have been injured following the cyclone's landfall. Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds brought down over 500 trees and electric poles, plunging around 940 villages in Gujarat into darkness.
The IMD has warned that extremely heavy rainfall is likely to lash Rajasthan on June 16 and 17. The cyclone is expected to move towards northwest, bringing heavy rain to the state.