Cyclone Biparjoy Set To Intensify In Next 24 Hours; Yellow Alert In 8 Kerala Districts

Very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy is set to intensify further in the next 24 hours, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

According to the latest weather bulletin issued by the IMD, the cyclonic storm which is currently located about 690 km west of Goa, 640 km west-southwest of Mumbai, and 640 km south-southwest of Porbandar, is packing winds of up to 145 kilometers per hour.

"Very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy at over east-central Arabian Sea near lat 16.0N & long 67.4E, likely to intensify further and move north-northeast wards," the weather department tweeted.

The IMD has warned that the storm could cause heavy rain and strong winds in coastal areas of Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.

High waves were observed at Tithal Beach, a popular tourist destination in Gujarat's Valsad on the Arabian Sea coast, in anticipation of Cyclone Biparjoy. The Tithal Beach has been closed to tourists until June 14 due to high waves and strong winds.

"We told the fishermen not to venture into the sea and they all have come back. People will be shifted to the village at the seashore if needed. Shelters have been made for them. We have closed Tithal Beach for tourists till June 14," Valsad Tehsildar TC Patel was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The weather department has advised fishermen not to venture into the seas off the coast of Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, and Lakshadweep. A yellow alert was issued for eight districts in Kerala on Friday. A yellow alert was issued for eight Kerala districts inluding Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Kozhikode, and Kannur.

Heatwave conditions in seven states

According to the IMD, states like Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand will continue to reel under heatwave conditions till Monday. While Uttar Pradesh will encounter heatwave conditions till Sunday, meanwhile, parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, and Andhra Pradesh may witness heatwave conditions till Saturday.