Cyclone Amphan likely to make landfall today — West Bengal on ‘red alert’, Odisha witnesses heavy rainfall

• The West Bengal government has issued a ‘red alert’ in several districts and asked the people to remain indoors. All the shops in South Bengal districts were advised to shut down.
  
• Seven districts of Odisha are under a spell of strong winds and heavy rainfall.
  
• Cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall in Digha in West Bengal and Hatia Islands in Bangladesh near Sundarbans today by late evening.
  

Cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall in Digha in West Bengal and Hatia Islands in Bangladesh near Sundarbans today by late evening.


A total of 41 teams of the National Disaster Response Force were deployed in West Bengal and Odisha. The Indian Navy is also on high alert.

The West Bengal government has issued a ‘red alert’ in several districts and asked the people to remain indoors. All the shops in South Bengal districts were advised to shut down.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said more than three lakh people from three coastal districts have been moved to safety. Seven districts of Odisha are under a spell of strong winds and heavy rainfall.

READ ALSO: Satellite pictures show super cyclone Amphan is raging across the sea at 270 kilometers per hour⁠— West Bengal and Odisha under ‘orange’ alert

'Can cause large scale and extensive damage'

The India Meteorological Department (MeT) weakened Amphan from a ‘super cyclone’ to an ‘extremely severe cyclonic storm’. It estimates that Amphan is centred around 390 kilometres south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal.

Even though it is less severe now, the devastating wind speed of cyclone Amphan — at 155 to 165 kilometres per hour (kph) gusting to 185 kph — is expected to cause large scale and extensive damage to structures — including poles, thatched and asbestos houses, hoardings, and trees. Speeds are unfavourable for trains and road travel, IMD said on May 19.

On May 19, the MeT issued an ‘orange alert’ for West Bengal and warned of extensive damage in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas, and East Midnapore districts.


Amphan is the strongest cyclone ever formed in the Bay of Bengal⁠— worse than the Odisha Cyclone of 1999 which moved at a speed of 260 kilometres per hour and killed 10,000 people.

SEE ALSO:
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Cyclone Amphan: Odisha govt steps up efforts for evacuation
Amphan, the strongest storm ever, "can cause large scale damage to structures", say Indian authorities