The 'very severe' cyclonic storm Bipajoy is likely to further intensify and move towards the northwest, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The Met department said the very severe cyclonic storm lay centred around 860km west-southwest of Goa at around 5.30 am.

A deep depression formed in the Arabian Sea intensified into cyclonic storm Biparjoy (pronounced as Biporjoy) on Tuesday evening. The cyclone, which is the first storm the Arabian Sea is witnessing this year, on Wednesday intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm, following which meteorologists predicted a 'mild' monsoon onset over Kerala.

On Wednesday, the IMD said the cyclone was "likely to move nearly northwards and intensify gradually into a severe cyclonic storm over the east-central Arabian Sea by Wednesday morning and further intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm over the same region during the subsequent 24 hours."

Scientists say cyclonic storms in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea have been intensifying rapidly and retaining their intensity for a longer duration due to climate change.

According to a study 'Changing status of tropical cyclones over the north Indian Ocean', the frequency, duration, and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea have increased by about 20 percent in the post-monsoon period and 40 percent in the pre-monsoon period. There has been a 52 percent increase in the number of cyclones in the Arabian Sea, while very severe cyclones have increased by 150 per cent.

"The increase in cyclone activity in the Arabian Sea is tightly linked to the rising ocean temperatures and increased availability of moisture under global warming. The Arabian Sea used to be cool, but now it is a warm pool," Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

"The oceans have become warmer already on account of climate change. In fact, a recent study shows that the Arabian Sea has warmed up by almost 1.2 degrees Celsius since March, thus conditions are very much favourable for the rapid intensification of the system (Cyclone Bipajoy) so it has the potential to sustain the strength for a longer period," Raghu Murtugudde, Professor, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland and IIT Bombay, told the news agency.

Gujarat government says prepared for the storm

Relief commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told PTI on Wednesday that the Gujarat administration was geared up to deal with potential natural calamities in the monsoon season. After attending the season's first review meeting of the weather watch group involving various departments and security forces, Pandey said the amount of water stored in reservoirs of north Gujarat and Kutch regions was the highest in the last 15 years.

Water is available in sufficient amounts in reservoirs in the state and compared to the previous year, 0.99 pe cent of the normal cultivated area has been planted so far this year, said the senior bureaucrat. As monsoon rainfall is likely to cause storms, and floods and disrupt normal life, the government has ensured that relief operations are carried out effectively through proper and immediate coordination between various departments and agencies of state and central governments, Pandey said.

Giving further details, the relief commissioner informed that 15 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 11 of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been put on standby for rain relief operations in Gujarat. Manorama Mohanty, Director of IMD, Ahmedabad, said Biparjoy is likely to cause wind gusts of 40 to 50 kmph in coastal districts.

With inputs from PTI

Also Read: How does Cyclone Biparjoy get its name and where it is headed to

First Published:Jun 8, 2023 9:54 AM IST