Mamallapuram: Waves crash onto the coast as the sea turned rough due to cyclone 'Amphan', in Mamallapuram, Tuesday, May 19, 2020.
Super cyclonic storm Amphan which weakened into an extremely severe cyclonic storm is nearing over West Bengal coast and is expected to make landfall in Bengal and Odisha anytime between today evening and tomorrow (Wednesday). As per the weatherman, the extremely severe cyclonic storm will be crossing West Bengal coast between Wednesday afternoon-evening with wind speed ranging from 155 to 165 kmph. Before weakening into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, Amphan speed had reached to 240-250 kmph while it was hovering over west-central and east-central Bay of Bengal. The weather department has issued an orange alert for a number of districts in West Bengal including Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South, and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.
Extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan LIVE Updates
02:21 pm | Super Cyclone AMPHAN is likely to make landfall between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans with maximum sustained wind 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph during afternoon to evening of tomorrow, the 20th May.
01:40 pm | IMD has issued a warning to suspend all fishing activity in West Bengal and Odisha till May 20, in the wake of super cyclone Amphan.
01:20 pm | Residents of Tajpur, East Medinipur create a temporary fence along the coast, in the wake of Amphan Cyclone in West Bengal.
12:40 pm | Home Minister has also spoken to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and reviewed the preparedness. He again reiterated that Central Government is ready to provide any support needed from them by both the affected states.
12:30 pm | Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Cyclone Amphan. He has assured West Bengal CM that the Centre is committed to helping the state & already teams of NDRF have been deployed. Centre is ready to give any assistance the state requires.
09:00 am | Cyclone Amphan is likely to move north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal & cross West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans during afternoon-evening on May 20, IMD informed.