Tidal Waves and Rain hit Mumbai due to Cyclonic Storm ‘Biparjoy’ in the Arabian Sea
Mumbai, the financial capital of India, witnessed heavy rainfall and high tidal waves on Friday as a result of the cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ brewing over the east-central Arabian Sea. The storm, which was named by Bangladesh and means ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ in Bengali, is expected to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm in the next 36 hours and move towards the Gujarat coast by June 15.
Impact of Biparjoy on Mumbai
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad districts on Friday, indicating heavy rain at isolated places. The IMD also warned of rough sea conditions along the Maharashtra coast and advised fishermen not to venture into the sea till June 15.
The high tide of 4.16 metres at 11:43 am on Friday caused seawater to splash onto the roads at Marine Drive, Worli Sea Face and Bandra Bandstand. Several low-lying areas such as Hindmata, King’s Circle, Sion and Kurla were also waterlogged due to the incessant rain.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said that it has deployed pumps, staff, and machinery to deal with any emergency situation arising out of the cyclone. The BMC also appealed to citizens to avoid going near the sea or waterlogged areas and to stay indoors as much as possible.
Forecast for Biparjoy
According to the IMD, Biparjoy is likely to move nearly northwards and reach near Pakistan and adjoining Saurashtra and Kutch coasts on Thursday. It is likely to cross the Gujarat coast between Mandvi and Karachi as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph.
The IMD said that Biparjoy will bring heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Kerala in the next few days. It will also cause a storm surge of 2-3 meters above astronomical tide in some parts of the Gujarat coast during landfall.
Role of Biparjoy in Monsoon
Biparjoy is the second cyclone to form over the Arabian Sea this year after Tauktae, which hit Gujarat last month. Experts say that Biparjoy will influence the advance of the southwest monsoon, which is delayed in most parts of the country.
Dr. M Rajeevan, secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said that Biparjoy will help in pulling the monsoon winds towards the west coast and central India. He said that after Biparjoy weakens, the monsoon will cover most parts of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and some parts of Rajasthan by June 16-17.
However, he also cautioned that Biparjoy may cause a temporary break in monsoon over eastern and northeastern India due to its anti-cyclonic circulation. He said that monsoon will resume over these regions after June 20.
