Cyclone Amphan LIVE Updates: 'Super Cyclone' to Weaken into 'Extremely Severe Storm' as it Nears Bengal, Bangladesh

West Bengal Govt Begins Evacuation | 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, news agency IANS reported. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already directed the state disaster management authorities to transport the evacuees to temporary cyclone centres for safety. 

Earlier on Monday, India Meteorological Department Director General M Mohapatra said that cyclone Amphan is a very intense storm which can wreak large-scale damage. Amphan has intensified into a super cyclonic storm and is expected to make landfall on May 20 between the Digha islands in West Bengal and Hatia islands of Bangladesh, Mohapatra said at a press briefing

India has faced several cyclones in the past two decades, with some of them causing more damage than others.

25 NDRF Teams Already Deployed in View of Cyclone Amphan | Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness in view of super cyclonic storm Amphan. "25 NDRF teams have already been deployed while 12 others are ready in reserve. Also 24 other NDRF teams are on standby in different parts of the country," Union Home Minister Amit Shah had tweeted yesterday.

PM @NarendraModi took stock of the situation and reviewed the preparedness against cyclone ‘Amphan’.

25 NDRF teams have already been deployed while 12 others are ready in reserve. Also 24 other NDRF teams are on standby in different parts of the country. pic.twitter.com/Cjhk2beWnF

— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 18, 2020

Residents, Cattles in South 24 Parganas Shifted to Relief Camps | People from coastal areas in South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal were shifted at Kulgachhi under Deuli-I Gram Panchayat in the view of super cyclonic storm Amphan. Cattles were also shifted to a safer place. (Image: News18)

Task Filled With Challenges | Amid lockdown 4.0, evacuations of people from low-lying areas due to cyclonic storm Amphan and keeping social distancing in mind due to coronavirus are going to be a serious challenge for the disaster management teams in all cyclone-affected states.

Preparedness in West Bengal in View of Cyclone Amphan | "Above 40,000 people already evaucated (up to 4.30pm), more evacuation was underway during the night. All fishermen boats have returned to the coast. Sanitisation of all cyclone shelters, masks, sanitizers, PPEs, hand washing arrangements and other arrangements were done. NDRF teams have been posted at Sagar, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Patherpratima and Gosaba. While SDRF teams have been placed at Ghoramara, Mousni island and Gplot," said P Ulganathan, DM, South 24 Parganas, on the preparatory measures taken till yesterday in the view of cyclone Amphan.

Residents Shifted to Safer Place in Odisha | Residents from coastal areas of Jagatsinghpur in Odisha were shifted to a cyclone shelter last night, to protect them from heavy rains and winds to be caused by super cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’. The evacuation process by disaster management teams is underway as people are being shifted to a safer place from low-lying areas. (Image: ANI)

Cyclone Amphan Follow-up | According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), it's very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during next 6 hours. It's very likely to move north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans during afternoon/evening of May 20.

It's very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during next 6 hrs. It's very likely to move north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal&cross W Bengal–Bangladesh coasts b/w Digha&Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans during afternoon/evening of 20 May: IMD https://t.co/bGpOI9c4OW

— ANI (@ANI) May 19, 2020

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal and cross the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Digha and the…

Maiden cyclone of this pre-monsoon season Amphan, also grabs the distinction of becoming the only super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal since the year 2000, reports Skymet Weather.

The Met department, which has issued a "orange" warning for West Bengal, has cautioned against extensive damage in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.

The NDRF chief said the coming cyclone is a serious one as it is only the second time after 1999 in Odisha that a storm hitting the country's coast has been categorised as a ''super cyclone''.

Fishermen Warning in View of Cyclone Amphan | Fishermen are advised not to venture into along and off Andhra coast for next 24 hours commencing from 6am of May 19, according to the cyclone warning centre in Vishakapatnam in the view of cyclone Amphan (pronounced as UM-PUN).

NDRF Gears up to Face Cyclonic Amphan Impact | The NDRF has enhanced its strength to a total of 37 teams, with the addition of 20 more, to combat the "dual challenge" of cyclone 'Amphan' amid the coronavirus pandemic, the chief of the federal contingency force said yesterday. S N Pradhan, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General, said the force is fully geared with all the equipment and paraphernalia to face the "developing situation which the Indian Meteorological Department has said will turn into a very severe cyclonic storm and continue to be so for sometime".

The Super Cyclone Amphan is moving over west-central and adjoining central parts of the South Bay of Bengal near latitude 13.7°N and longitude 86.2 °E. Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan is about 730 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 890 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal), and 1010 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), according to Skymet Weather.

West Bengal Govt Takes All Precautionary Measures | West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday said all precautionary steps, including evacuation of people from coastal areas, have been taken to deal with any eventuality arising out of cyclone Amphan, which is fast approaching the the state. Teams of disaster management department, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) have been sent to the vulnerable areas, she said.

PM Narendra Modi Reviews Preparedness on Cyclone Amphan | Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation arising out of cyclone 'Amphan'. Among those present at the meeting were Union Minister Amit Shah and officials of MHA, NDMA and NDRF. The meeting took place at PM Modi's official residence.

Cyclone Amphan to Intensify: IMD | Cyclone Amphan is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the afternoon or evening of May 20 as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 165-175 kmph gusting to 195 kmph. The super cyclone ‘AMPHAN’ is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Super cyclonic storm Amphan has slightly weakened to a Category 4 cyclone with 140mph as it moved further north-northeastwards over the Northeast Central Bay of Bengal.

#CycloneAmphan Advisory 20
Max Winds: 140mph
Strength: C4
MSLP: 931mb#Amphan has slightly weakened to a Category 4 cyclone with 140mph as it moved further north-northeastwards over the Northeast Central Bay of Bengal... pic.twitter.com/mKa4iQYPvF

— Joint Cyclone Center (@JointCyclone) May 19, 2020

Odisha Govt on Alert Ahead of Cyclonic Amphan Makes Landfall | Odisha government has also taken all necessary precautions in the wake of the cyclone alert. Prabhat Mohapatra, state Joint Commissioner (Relief), said evacuation of people from low-lying and vulnerable areas of all coastal districts in Odisha is underway. "Places like Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, and Bhadrak are likely to be affected more. As of now, it’s seems that Bengal and Bangladesh is likely to affected more,” he said.

Evacuation Underway | More than 1 lakh people will be evacuated soon from Ghoramara Dweep, Kalinagar in Kakdwip, Naamkhana, Bakkhali, Frasergunj, Sagar Island and Pathor Pratima from Sundarbans in West Bengal, ahead of cyclonic storm Amphan making landfall in the low-lying areas.

Super Cyclone Amphan May Wreak Havoc on Sunderbans | IMD Director (Kolkata) GC Das said the landfall of super cyclonic story Amphan will be very severe and going to affect the Sundarbans. “We are keeping a close watch on its pattern. So far it seems that Bangladesh is likely to be impacted more,” he said. The cyclone will hit any time between afternoon and evening of May 20 and a clear picture of the scenario will be available by Tuesday.

Cyclone Amphan Impact | The extremely severe Cyclone Amphan is likely to wreak havoc on the Sundarbans in West Bengal’s South 24-Parganas. However, its impact may be far worse on the stretch of the mangrove wetland falling in Bangladesh given the intensity and direction of the cyclone that will land on May 20.

The cyclone is likely to reduce in intensity and will be an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' when it makes landfall between Digha in Bengal and Hatiya in Bangladesh on May 20.