The cyclone is predicted to have the potential to cause extensive damage like Cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha and West Bengal coast at this time last year.
A young girl stands in queue to collect food as its rain, during a government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Kolkata on April 12, 2020. (Photo by Dibyangshu SARKAR / AFP)
The Super Cyclone Amphan will make landfall on Digha in West Bengal by the evening of May 20 evening as extremely severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds up to 195 kmph, said Centre on Monday.
However, the cyclonic storm is very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm in the next six hours before it hits West Bengal tomorrow, the Met department said this morning. It is likely to reach Bengal’s Digha and an island in Bangladesh close to the Sunderbans by tomorrow afternoon or evening.
“Amphan is now a ‘super cyclone’ and it is a serious issue, the only other cyclone of this magnitude was in Odisha in 1999 and it was very deadly,” said National Disaster Response Force DG SN Pradhan.
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“When ‘Amphan’ makes landfall on May 20 it will be an extremely severe cyclonic storm,” aid Pradhan.
“Cyclone ‘Amphan’ will cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in coastal districts of West Bengal. West Bengal districts of East Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata are likely to be worst affected by cyclone,” said government.
The Super Cyclonic AMPHAN at 2330 hrs IST of 18 th May, 2020 near latitude 14.9°N and longitude 86.5°E over Westcentral Bay of Bengal about 600 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 750 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) pic.twitter.com/cNSdwLEkq0
— India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2020
The storm is expected to make landfall along The two states and Bangladesh are on high alert, with a “massive evacuation” underway, according to the Collector and District Magistrate of Odisha’s Bhadrak.
The cyclone is predicted to have the potential to cause extensive damage like Cyclone Fani, which hit Odisha and West Bengal coast at this time last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Monday to review the response preparedness and evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
#AmphanCyclone is the Second Super Cyclone over Bay of Bengal after 1999 Super Cyclone which hit #Odisha. It will probably land on 20th May between Digha in #WestBengal & Hatiya Island of #Bangladesh :DG @NDRFHQ @PIBHomeAffairs ,@PIB_India ,@satyaprad1 ,@ndmaindia ,@SRC_Odisha pic.twitter.com/AQIm36sBoT
— PIB in Odisha #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIBBhubaneswar) May 19, 2020
At least 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground while 12 others are ready in reserve. An additional 24 teams are also on standby in different parts of the country. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and Fire Services have also been deployed to contain the situation.
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