According to the latest bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone 'Amphan' which is heading towards India's eastern coast as an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' is likely to intensify into a 'Super Cyclone' before making landfall.

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 Director-General of the IMD, Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, confirmed the development. "Cyclone 'Amphan', in the Bay of Bengal, intensified into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' at 2:30 AM today. It is expected to further intensify into a 'Super Cyclonic Storm' in the next 12 hours," he said, adding, "It will move towards north-northeast direction and cross Digha (West Bengal)-Hathiya island (Bangladesh) on the afternoon and evening of May 20 with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph."

The IMD bulletin issued in this regard notified the states of Odisha and West Bengal of the current location of the cyclonic storm and provided further details regarding the storm intensifying further and making landfall on Wednesday.

#Breaking: Lastest bulletin by Met dept says that the Extremely Severe Cyclone Amphan will intensify into a ‘Super Cyclonic Storm’ over the next 12 hrs. However, it will remain as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during the landfall. Bulletin: 10am @dna @ZeeNews pic.twitter.com/yawd6AFZxS

— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) May 18, 2020

"The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm 'AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours, lay centred over west-central and the adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal, about 790 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 940 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1060 km south-southwest of Khepupura (Bangladesh)," the IMD bulletin read

The storm is likely to "intensify further into a Super Cyclonic Storm during the next 12 hours, it said, adding that the cyclone is "very likely to move north-northeastwards across the 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" with maximum wind speeds of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.

Furthermore, Umashankar Das, a scientist at IMD Bhubaneshwar, said that the North Odisha coast will face the 'maximum impact' of Cyclone 'Amphan' when it makes landfall. "The wind speed is expected to be around 110-120 kmph, gusting up to 130 kmph. Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj districts may end up being affected on May 20 (when it makes landfall)," Das was quoted by news agency ANI.

Rainfall is expected on May 19-21 with a heavy to extremely heavy downpour likely at isolated places all over the coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal, including East & West Midnapur, North & South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, and Kolkata, the IMD said.

Light to moderate rainfall is also expected at one or to places over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, including Malda, North & South Dinajpur, and even across a few regions in Sikkim.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the North Bay of Bengal along and off West Bengal - North Odisha coasts during May 18-21 because of 'Phenomenal' sea conditions.

The weather office had dispatched an alert on the brewing storm, Cyclone Amphan, to the National Disaster Response Force and the chief secretaries of eight states and Union Territories on May 14.