As Cyclone Amphan Intensifies Orissa and West Bengal are Placed on High Alert

Cyclone Amphan which has been defined as an “extremely severe” storm has been formed overnight over central parts of South Bay of Bengal according to the India Meteorological Department. The states of Orissa and West Bengal have been placed on high alert. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday said that the cyclonic storm is likely to intensify into a ‘super cyclone’ by Monday evening.  It said that Amphan will hit Bangladesh and West Bengal coasts as a very severe storm with a speed of 185 km per hour on Wednesday. 

The storm was formed over central parts of the South Bay of Bengal and moved towards north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours. 

The cyclone is likely to move north northeastwards and move fast across the northwest Bay of Bengal. It would cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20 (Wednesday). 

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into West Bengal and Orissa coasts from May 18 to May 21. Those who are at sea have been asked to return by May 17. The cyclone is likely to make a landfall somewhere between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh on Wednesday. 

When the cyclone will hit the coastal shores of Orissa and West Bengal it is likely to bring forth heavy rains and high velocity winds. 

Twelve coastal districts of Odisha -- Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh -- are on high alert.

In Orissa 10 teams of NDRF personnel have been deployed in 7 districts namely Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. The NDRF teams have said that it is prepared to evacuate around 11 lakh people.  

 

In West Bengal Home secretary Alapan Bandopdhyay said that entire state machinery is prepared to deal with the situation.