Fieshermen have been advised to stay off coast this week.
Two states- Bengal and Odisha- have been alerted about Cyclone AMPHAN, which turned into an "extremely severe" overnight. The storm is likely to make a landfall in Bengal on Wednesday.
"The very severe cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours, intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm," a statement by the India Meteorological Department or IMD read.
The storm is likely to "further intensify" over the next six hours, it said, adding that the cyclone is "very likely to move north-northeastwards and move fast across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20 (Wednesday)" as a "very severe cyclonic storm".
Here are the live updates on Cyclone AMPHAN
To review the arising cyclone situation in various parts of the country, PM @narendramodi ji will chair a high level meeting with MHA & NDMA, today at 4pm.
- Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 18, 2020
#CycloneAmphan | What To Do Before & During A #Cyclone#WestBengal#Odisha#BayOfBengalpic.twitter.com/yZTVxwkiCE
- NDMA India (@ndmaindia) May 18, 2020
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm 'AMPHAN': 18th May 2020 (1000 to 1027 IST). Likely to intensify further as Super Cyclone. pic.twitter.com/iJK0RVpQtY
- India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 18, 2020
The "First Flag" has been raised across all #Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
- UNHCR in Bangladesh (@UNHCR_BGD) May 18, 2020
Trained volunteers are spreading messaging & raising awareness as part of the national Cyclone Preparedness Programme #CPP.
Supplies are prepositioned & tie-down kits distributed.#CycloneAmphanpic.twitter.com/zHrz1zTAJC
The BJP unit of Bengal has hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government ahead of CYCLONE AMPHAN's expected landfall on Wednesday. "Even as Cyclone Amphan is heading towards Bengal, migrant workers who have returned from other states are being made to spend quarantine period in open tents in West Bengal! Only a merciless state government can subject its own residents to such peril! (sic)," the party tweeted.
#Amphan will be a CYCLONE with wind speed ranging from 200kmph to 265kmph. But it will be in the Sea during this 12-hrs. At the time of landfall on May 20 afternoon/evening, wind speed will be 155-165kmph gusting to 185kmph.
- DM Balasore (@DBalasore) May 18, 2020
Stay prepared. Stay safe. pic.twitter.com/axm8pwwE51
