Amphan, the strongest storm ever, "can cause large scale damage to structures", say Indian authorities

• A super cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall in Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh near Sundarban on May 20.
• 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.
• Authorities suggest the devastating wind speed of the cyclone can cause large scale and extensive damage to structures.

A super cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall in Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh near Sundarban on May 20.

“The cyclone is moving towards the North with a speed of 15 kilometres per hour. However, we expect the speed to increase when it moves towards the North East direction. We expect the wind speed of the super cyclone to be at 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph,” said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the Indian Meteorological Department.


“The devastating wind speed is expected to cause large scale and extensive damage to structures, poles, thatched and asbestos houses, hoardings, trees. Speed unfavourable for trains and road travel,” he added.


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.


The cyclone will cause a massive storm surge — which can go as high as 30 feet. ““We have given heavy rainfall (7 to 12 centimeter) warning to Odisha. We expect extremely heavy rainfall — more than 20 centimeters — in West Bengal,” Mohapatra said.



The Meteorological (MeT) Department, which has issued an "orange message" for West Bengal, warned of extensive damage in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.


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