In the coastal village of Jakhau, where the cyclone made landfall in India’s Gujarat state on Thursday, over 130 people had shifted back to their homes from a government-run shelter by midday Saturday.

India’s powerful home minister, Amit Shah, was expected to visit the village later Saturday and take stock of the situation.

Officials said electricity had been restored in many villages but some were still without power. After the landfall, the cyclone uprooted trees and electricity poles in hundreds of villages along the coastal regions of Gujarat.

“It was very scary and we expected huge damage,” said Amad, a trader who rents boats to fishermen in Jakhau and only uses one name. “But thankfully nature’s wrath was somewhat lighter than we anticipated.”

He said there was no major damage in the village barring uprooting of trees, electricity poles and minor damage to some homes.

The storm had wind speeds of 85 kph (53 mph) and gusting up to 105 kph (65 mph) through the coastal areas of Gujarat.

India Meteorological Department said early Saturday that the cyclone had weakened into a deep depression and was expected to weaken further in the next 12 hours.

The full extent of the damage in Gujarat wasn’t immediately known. A man and his son died on Thursday when they tried to save their livestock in Gujarat state, according to the Press Trust of India news agency. Also, 23 people were injured in various areas, officials said.

The Gujarat government said it deployed 184 rapid action squads to rescue wild animals and clear fallen trees in Gir National Park, home to nearly 700 Asiatic lions.

A 2021 study found that the frequency, duration and intensity of cyclones in the Arabian Sea increased significantly between 1982 and 2019, and experts say the increase will continue, making preparations for natural disasters more urgent.

In addition to Saurashtra-Kutch, the storm is also forecast to pass towards Pakistani shores on June 15 in the afternoon as a “very severe cyclonic storm (VSCS)”, according to the weather office.

On Sunday morning, the IMD reported that the centre of the extremely dangerous cyclonic storm “Biparjoy” over the east central Arabian Sea was located about 480 kilometres south-southwest of Porbandar, 530 kilometres south-southwest of Dwarka, and 610 kilometres south-southwest of Naliya in Kutch.

“Biparjoy, a VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm), became an ESCS (extremely severe cyclonic storm) at 5:50 am today (Sunday), 480 km, 530 km, and 610 km SSW of Porbandar.

Around midday on June 15, the IMD tweeted, “To cross Saurashtra and Kutch and adjacent Pakistan coasts as VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm).”

In a warning that was released early on Sunday, the IMD stated that along and off the coasts of Saurashtra and Kutch, daytime wind speeds will reach 40 to 50 kmph with gusts up to 60 kmph.

During Tuesday and Wednesday, it will climb from 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph. On Monday, it will increase even more to 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph.

According to IMD, squally winds with gusts up to 75 kmph are highly likely to prevail along and off the coast of Saurashtra on Thursday.

Speaking about sea conditions, it stated that they will likely be “rough to very rough” through Wednesday and “very rough to high” on Thursday along and off the beaches of Saurashtra and Kutch.

Additionally, it suggested a complete halt to fishing operations in the area until June 15 and urged fishermen to avoid the central Arabian Sea, the northern Arabian Sea from June 12 to June 15, as well as the coastlines of Saurashtra and Kutch, until then.

Additionally, it recommended mariners to return to land and prudently manage both offshore and onshore activity. “In light of the foregoing, state governments are recommended to keep a careful eye on things, check the situation in their regions on a regular basis, and take the necessary precautions. District authorities have been informed accordingly, according to the IMD.