More than 100,000 people had been evacuated in India and Pakistan ahead of the expected landfall of a cyclone powerful enough to devastate homes and tear down power lines. Biparjoy, which means "disaster" in Bengali, is expected to make landfall as a "very severe cyclonic storm" on the evening of June 15, forecasters said. Powerful winds, storm surges, and lashing rains were forecast to hammer a 325-kilometer stretch of coast between Mandvi in India's Gujarat state and Karachi, Pakistan. Officials have warned of the potential "total destruction" of mud and straw thatched homes.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.