Authorities in India and Pakistan's western coast are evacuating people living in low-lying areas to temporary shelters ahead of the arrival of a super cyclone expected to make landfall in Gujarat state on Thursday.
Biparjoy, named by Bangladesh and meaning destruction, has been brewing for the last week in the Arabian Sea. It was declared a severe cyclone by Oman on June 7.
The India Meteorological Department said that Biparjoy intensified into an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Sunday morning and was moving north-east at 8kph.
Sardar Sarfaraz, the representative for Pakistan's Meteorological Department, said the cyclone's maximum sustained surface winds were between 160kph and 180kph with gusts reaching 200kph around the centre of the system.
He warned that waves hitting the coast could reach four metres when the cyclone makes landfall between India's Kutch region and Karachi, Pakistan, on Thursday.
Jamnagar, Morbi, and Gir Somnath, home to Asiatic lions and Porbandar districts, are likely to be affected by the cyclone, with heavy rainfall and winds expected over the next three days.
Forecasts have predicted wind speeds of up to 150kph.
The IMD said: “It is likely to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during the next six hours.
“It is very likely to move nearly northwards and reach near Pakistan and adjoining Saurashtra and Kutch coasts around June 15th as a very severe cyclonic storm.
“Sea conditions are likely to be very high to high over the north-east and adjoining north-west Arabian Sea. Very rough to rough sea conditions are likely over adjoining areas of central Arabian Sea on June 15.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a meeting to review the preparedness of ministries, central agencies and the Gujarat government to deal with the situation.
Mr Modi directed senior officers to take “every possible measure”.
“Our teams are ensuring safe evacuations from vulnerable areas and ensuring maintenance of essential services. Praying for everyone's safety and well-being,” Mr Modi said.
Gujarat chief minister Bhupendra Patel visited the State Emergency Operation Center on Sunday to review the preparedness of coastal districts in the state.
Teams of disaster response forces including the army, navy, air force, and coastguard have been deployed to assist the authorities in Gujarat with preparedness, rescue, and restoration efforts.
“Those staying in low-lying areas of Kandla are being moved to temporary shelters in Gandhidham,” said Om Prakash, the public relations officer of Deendayal Port Authority, in Gujarat's Kandla.
The cyclone over the Arabian Sea has caused heavy rains and gusty winds in Mumbai, the coastal city in neighbouring Maharashtra.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast rain and thunderstorm in the city on Monday.
Flights have been partially disrupted in Mumbai ahead of the cyclone, with at least four flights delayed.
“All IndiGO flights are messed up at Mumbai airport now. All passengers are frustrated and there are too many delays. No one knows what’s happening here,” Prudhvi Ram Vedula, a passenger, wrote on Twitter on Monday morning.
Air India, the national carrier, released a statement on Sunday night informing passengers that a runway was temporarily closed because of the weather.
“Inclement weather and the temporary closure of Runway 09/27 at the Mumbai airport, in addition to other consequential factors beyond our control have resulted in delays and cancellation of some of our flights. We regret the inconvenience caused to our guests, as we make all effort to minimise the disruptions,” Air India said.
Authorities have suspended fishing operations in Mumbai until Thursday due to high tidal waves, with fishermen advised not to venture into the sea.
Preparations for landfall of the storm were also under way in Pakistan.
In the southern city of Karachi, roads close to the coast were cordoned off to stop people getting too close to the sea, while more than 50,000 people began an evacuation from Baden zero point villages in Sindh.
About 2,000 people from the islands of Shah Bandar have already been relocated.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali said the storm's intensity had slightly reduced, but that once it makes landfall it could flood up to five metres inland.
Amar Guriro, a climate expert and journalist from Karachi, said the extremely severe cyclonic storm is due to El Nino, a weather phenomenon affecting the Pacific Ocean and global climate.
He said this is evident in many parts of Pakistan, where cold weather is observed in May and June.
Mr Guriro noted that the previous massive cyclone in 1999 resulted in over 6,000 deaths, 150 missing people and extensive damage to over 1.5 million houses in Thatta and Baden.
Mr Guriro expressed concern about the lack of effective alerts or press releases by bodies such as the Defence Housing Authority and the Natural Disaster Management Authority.
“Many people are still present in vulnerable areas near the sea, including DHA, Manora Island, and Dabla Mohallah, where large populations reside,” he added.
The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority said that the cyclone will not affect the UAE.
It organised a series of meetings of the Joint Assessment Team handling weather and tropical conditions – as part of its efforts to monitor and evaluate the tropical conditions in the UAE.
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
More on Quran memorisation:
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
Results
2.30pm: Park Avenue – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Rb Seqondtonone, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
3.05pm: Al Furjan – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Bosphorus, Dane O’Neill, Bhupat Seemar
3.40pm: Mina – Rated Condition (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Royal Mews, Tadhg O’Shea, Bhupat Seemar
4.15pm: Aliyah – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,900m; Winner: Ursa Minor, Ray Dawson, Ahmad bin Harmash
4.50pm: Riviera Beach – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 2,200m; Winner: Woodditton, Saif Al Balushi, Ahmad bin Harmash
5.25pm: Riviera – Handicap (TB) Dh2,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Al Madhar, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
6pm: Creek Views – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Al Salt, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy
SERIE A FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Roma v Udinese (5pm)
SPAL v Napoli (8pm)
Juventus v Torino (10.45pm)
Sunday
Sampdoria v AC Milan (2.30pm)
Inter Milan v Genoa (5pm)
Crotone v Benevento (5pm)
Verona v Lazio (5pm)
Cagliari v Chievo (5pm)
Sassuolo v Bologna (8pm)
Fiorentina v Atalanta (10.45pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Five ways to get fit like Craig David (we tried for seven but ran out of time)
Start the week as you mean to go on. So get your training on strong on a Monday.
Train hard, but don’t take it all so seriously that it gets to the point where you’re not having fun and enjoying your friends and your family and going out for nice meals and doing that stuff.
Think about what you’re training or eating a certain way for — don’t, for example, get a six-pack to impress somebody else or lose weight to conform to society’s norms. It’s all nonsense.
Get your priorities right.
And last but not least, you should always, always chill on Sundays.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
SCORES IN BRIEF
New Zealand 153 and 56 for 1 in 22.4 overs at close
Pakistan 227
(Babar 62, Asad 43, Boult 4-54, De Grandhomme 2-30, Patel 2-64)
Meydan race card
6.30pm: Baniyas (PA) Group 2 Dh125,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,200m
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh170,000 (D) 1,900m
8.50pm: Rated Conditions (TB) Dh240,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh175,000 (D)1,200m
10pm: Handicap (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball
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