Over 100,000 people have been evacuated following warnings of a powerful cyclone approaching India and Pakistan.
Cyclone Biparjoy, whose name means “disaster” in Bengali, is moving across the Arabian Sea and is expected to move in on land on Thursday evening. According to forecasts, it could affect a roughly 30-mile stretch of coast between Mandvi in the Indian state of Gujarat and Karachi in Pakistan.
Meteorologists in India have warned of widespread devastation in the cyclone’s track, fearing damage to homes, power lines and crops.
At sea, the winds are already blowing at up to 50 meters per second and the wind strength is expected to be around 35 meters per second when the cyclone makes landfall, with gusts of up to 40 meters per second.
The cyclone is estimated to be the most powerful in the area since 2021, when over 170 people died.