Power disrupted, heavy rains lash India, Pakistan after cyclone

Roofs were blown off houses and trees and electric poles uprooted, leaving thousands without power as a severe cyclone made landfall and rain lashed both the Indian and Pakistani coasts early on Friday.

At least two people died in India's western state of Gujarat after being swept away by flood waters just before the cyclone hit.

More than 180,000 people were evacuated in India and Pakistan in the last few days as authorities braced for the cyclone, named Biparjoy, which means 'disaster' or 'calamity' in the Bengali language.

It made landfall late on Thursday near Jakhau, a port in Gujarat that is close to the border with Pakistan, weather officials said.

Biparjoy had weakened to a cyclonic storm from a severe cyclonic storm on Friday morning, India's Metereological Department said in its latest bulletin, with speeds going down from 105 km to 85 km. Wind speeds are likely to reduce further by afternoon, the bulletin said.

Power was disrupted at many places in the Kutch district of Gujarat because of strong winds, said Amit Arora, a top district official overseeing rescue operations.

In neighbouring Pakistan, the cyclone had no major impact, with rain reported in some parts of the southern metropolis of Karachi, which was on high alert.

Pakistan's weather department advised local authorities to remain on alert for expected heavy rain in some coastal areas until Saturday.

India's weather department warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall in Gujarat and Rajasthan through Friday. Pakistan's weather department said moderate to heavy rain was expected in the Hyderabad, Nooriabad and Thatta regions.

Local television showed visuals of uprooted trees, people sheltering against strong winds and debris lying on roads in the aftermath of the cyclone.

Biparjoy was classified as a category one storm, the least severe on a scale of one to five.

The government had directed all offshore oil installations to ensure the immediate return of all staff to land and advised ports to also take preventive action, but there was no word on how the landfall had affected operations, if at all.