'Biparjoy' Means 'Calamity': How This Cyclone Got Its Name And What Will Be Its Impact in India | Explained

Cyclone “Biparjoy,” which is now a very severe cyclonic storm, is expected to move nearly northwards and further intensify in the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said.

It is likely to further intensify into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” in the next 12 hours, but it may not hit Gujarat, IMD said in its latest bulletin.

As of Saturday morning, the severe cyclonic storm was placed about 700 km west-northwest of Goa and 620 km west-southwest of Mumbai.

From here, it will intensify further and move north-northeastwards and then gradually north-northwestwards during the subsequent three days.

➡️How was this cyclone named “Biparjoy”?

The name ‘Biparjoy’, which is pronounced as “Biporjoy” was given by Bangladesh. The name means ‘calamity’ or ‘disaster’ in Bengali.

Each cyclone is recognized by alphabetical names given by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). These names are provided by member nations of the Organisation, which in this case is Bangladesh.

➡️Why are cyclones given names?

According to the WMO, names are necessary for tropical cyclones because there can be more than one such system operating in a particular zone, and naming them helps in not creating a confusion between the cyclones.

Therefore, each tropical storm is given a name to avoid confusion, facilitating disaster risk awareness, management and mitigation.

➡️Every region has its own rules for naming extreme weather events

Every region has its own rules for naming cyclones. In the Atlantic and in the Southern hemisphere (Indian ocean and South Pacific), tropical cyclones names are given in alphabetical order, and women and men’s names are alternated.

The WMO maintains the rotating lists of names, which are appropriate for each tropical cyclone basin.

If a cyclone is particularly deadly or costly, then its name is retired and replaced by another.

Generally, the name list is proposed by the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHS) of the WMO members of a specific region and approved by the respective tropical cyclone regional bodies at their annual or biennial sessions.

➡️Cyclone Biparjoy’s impact in India?

Due to the cyclone, Gujarat will witness thunderstorm activity during the next five days, and wind speed will remain high especially in the Saurashtra-Kutch region.

Apart from this, fishermen have been warned against venturing into the Arabian Sea during the next five days. All fishing activities have also been suspended in this region.

“During the next two days, the Saurashtra-Kutch region will witness a wind speed of up to 30-40 kmph. Thereafter, the region may witness wind speed of up to 30-50 kmph gusting to 50 kmph, especially in coastal areas during June 13-15,” Manorama Mohanty, director of the Ahmedabad IMD centre said.

The cyclone is also likely to bring comparatively strong wind gusting to 60 kmph and increasing to 75 kmph, in coastal districts such as Porbandar and Kutch.

➡️How is India taking precautions?

Authorities have dispatched teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to the districts of Porbandar, Gir Somnath and Valsad in Gujarat as a precautionary measure.

The SDRF (State Disaster Response Force) teams have been kept on standby mode while people of the coastal village had been alerted. If needed, they were told, they will have to be shifted to safer places,” Surat’s Collector BK Vasava told Indian Express.

The Indian Coast Guard has commenced an outreach to advise the fishing community, seafarers and stakeholders of Gujarat, Daman and Diu to take requisite precautions and safety measures.

The ICG units are communicating regular advisories to vessels at sea through ships, aircraft & RADAR stations

➡️Weather predictions across India Amid Cyclone Biparjoy 

Northeast India

Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely during the next five days over Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh, IMD said in its latest bulletin.

South India

Heavy rainfall is also very likely over Kerala and coastal Karnataka during the next three days.

East India

Andaman and Nicobar islands are set to see very heavy rainfall on Saturday.

Apart from this, heatwave conditions are likely over Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas till June 12.