Cyclone Amphan live updates: Bengal evacuates people in coastal areas as Amphan intensifies

Cyclone 'Amphan' likely to make a landfall in Bengal on Wednesday: Kolkata Met department

According to Kolkata Met department sources cyclone Amphan is expected to make a landfall in the state on Wednesday. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had already said that Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN) had already intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm overnight, which is coming at a speed of 14 km/hour towards the coastal belts of Bay of Bengal.

West Bengal govt evacuates people in coastal areas as cyclone Amphan intensifies

As cyclone Amphan intensified into a super-cyclonic storm, the West Bengal government on Tuesday started evacuating people from the coastal belts in view of the strong winds and heavy rainfall that may devastate a large part of the south Bengal districts.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has already directed the state disaster management authorities to transport the evacuees to temporary cyclone centres for safety. Three coastal districts of East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas are expected to be the worst affected in the cyclonic spell.

'Amphan' to weaken into extremely severe cyclonic storm:Met

'Amphan' in west-central Bay of Bengal is likely to weaken into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' by noon on Tuesday, the Met department said. The system, which was situated 670 km south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal, is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts in the afternoon or evening of Wednesday as a 'very severe cyclonic storm', the Met department said.

Kolkata port warns ships at Sandheads as cyclone Amphan approaches

The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (SPMPT) has issued warnings to all ships anchored at the Sandheads to take necessary measures to prevent any mishap due to cyclone Amphan that is approaching the area. All weather reports are being shared with these ships via email and wireless communication. ​​​Regular weather bulletins are also being received by these ships through NAVTEX, an international direct printing service. The ships have also been urged to leave the anchorage in good time and take evasive action.

The super cyclone Amphan is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

The IMD has forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at one or two places today. Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places over all the districts of Gangetic West Bengal with extremely heavy falls at East and West Midnapur, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata of Gangetic West Bengal on May 20.

The Met deparment has warned fishermen not to venture into the sea up to May 21.

Cyclone alert for Bengal, Odisha as 'Amphan' intensifies

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued a fresh cyclone alert for West Bengal and north Odisha coasts as an extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' was over the central parts of the South Bay of Bengal and adjoining the central Bay of Bengal. In a statement, the IMD said the super cyclonic storm Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN) over west-central and adjoining East-central Bay of Bengal moved nearly north-northeastwards with a speed of 14 kmph during the past six hours.

IMD bulletin at 8.15am

Cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ over Westcentral and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 14kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 5.30am near latitude 15.6°N and longitude 86.7°E over the west-central Bay of Bengal about 520km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 670 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 800 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh). It is very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during the next 6 hours.

Cyclone Amphan likely to impact Bihar

Cyclone Amphan, now brewing over south Bay of Bengal, has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm and is likely to develop into an extremely severe one on Tuesday generating high wind speed. Read full story

Cyclone Amphan stood about 600km south of Paradip on Monday night

Cyclone Amphan stood about 600 km south of Paradip (Odisha) and 750 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) at 11.30pm on Monday. "The Super Cyclonic AMPHAN at 23:30 hrs IST of May 18, 2020, lies near latitude 14.9°N and longitude 86.5°E over Westcentral Bay of Bengal about600 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 750 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal)," India Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted.

Amphan cyclone is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts between Dig and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during afternoon/evening today as an extremely severe cyclonic Storm: IMD

PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi and Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata held a series of meeting with officials to counter the threat. A red alert has been sounded along the Bengal coast and people living along the coast are being evacuated.

In Kolkata, heavy showers on Wednesday could be accompanied by a wind speed of 100-110kmph.

East Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas are set to receive extremely heavy rain.

Cyclone Amphan is set to cross the coast between Digha and Hatiya in Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon or evening as an extremely severe cyclonic storm.

The cyclone will lose some intensity before hitting land but will still have a wind speed of 165-175kmph on landfall, with gusts of wind reaching a speed of 195kmph.