The landfall process of Cyclone Biparjoy has started in the Saurashtra and Kutch regions of Gujarat and will continue till midnight, the India Meteorological Department said. The cyclone will be crossing Saurashtra & Kutch and adjoining Pakistan coasts between Mandvi (Gujarat) and Karachi (Pakistan) near Jakhau Port (Gujarat) by tonight. Scroll down for latest updates!

While the areas of Kachchh, Devbhumi Dwarka & Jamnagar will witness light to moderate rainfall, very heavy showers are expected in Porbandar, Rajkot, Morbi and Junagarh districts of Gujarat. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely over remaining districts of Saurashtra and north Gujarat region, IMD said in its latest bulletin

The Gujarat government has so far shifted more than 94,000 people living in eight coastal districts to temporary shelters. It has also issued prohibitory orders, shut down public transport and advised people to remain indoors. Two teams each of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed in Gujarat, while teams of the Army and Indian Air Force have also been kept on standby.

The eye of Cyclone Biparjoy, the landfall process of which has already commenced, is around 50 km in diameter, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, while adding that the storm is marching ahead with a speed of 13-14 kmph. “Thus, it will take around five hours for the wall cloud and the eye to completely cross into the land,” he added.

As the landfall process commences in Gujarat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel holds a review meeting to take stock of the situation. Besides the CM, senior ministers are officials are also present at the meeting.

(With inputs from agencies)