Cyclone Amphan LIVE Update: Rains lashed Kolkata on Tuesday as the Met department warned of extensive damage in Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts. (Express photo)
Weather forecast Today, Cyclone Amphan Live Updates: A total of 41 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha to deal with any emergency situation arising out of Super Cyclone Amphan, NDRF chief S N Pradhan said on Tuesday.
Earlier today, rains lashed some parts of Odisha and West Bengal as the storm moved closer to the coasts and is expected to make landfall in the afternoon of May 20 between Digha in Bengal and Hatia island in Bangladesh. Both Bengal and Odisha governments have stepped up efforts to evacuate low-lying and vulnerable areas.
As per the latest bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department, super cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ (pronounced as Um-Pun) lay centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal, about 420 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 570 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 700 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh. It is likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, move north-northeastwards over the Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatia Islands during Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph and gusting to 185 kmph, the weather agency said.
Puri: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik gives final touches to his sand sculpture on cyclone Amphan at Puri beach, Monday, May 18, 2020. (PTI)
Chengalpattu: Fishermen work at a beach in the backdrop of a rough sea due to Cyclone Amphan, at Mamallapuram in Chengalpattu district, Monday, May 18, 2020. (PTI)
"We are dealing with a multi-hazard scenario, extensive damage expected, no one should be outside, people in low lying areas to be evacuated," DG, India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
In view of the Super Cyclone ‘Amphan’ making a landfall tomorrow, the Department of Water Resources has issued a flood warning for 26 districts in West Bengal, Assam and Sikkim.
Flooding will be associated with the heavy to very heavy rainfall caused by Cyclone Amphan advancing landwards from the Bay of Bengal. As on Tuesday afternoon, Super Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall along Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh, and maintain a wind speed ranging between 155 – 165km / hr gusting to 195km/hr on May 20. More details here.
"SMS alerts are being generated to people in affected districts, for evacuation. It is up to state governments that in what frequency they want to send alerts," Telecom Secretary said.
NDRF, IMD officials Tuesday held a press conference on Cyclone Amphan. Here are the key highlights:
*A total of 41 NDRF teams including reserves are deployed in Odisha and West Bengal
*This is second disaster coming as we are already fighting COVID-19; this requires continuous monitoring, NDRF DG S N Pradhan says
*This is the most intense cyclone - the second super cyclone - which has been formed in the Bay of Bengal after 1999. Its wind speed in the sea right now is 200-240 kmph. It is moving towards the north-northwestward direction, IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.
*Districts which can be possibly affected in Bengal are North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts, IMD chief says
*Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah and West Midnapore districts will face wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting up to 135 kmph.
*Cabinet Secretary took National Crisis Management Committee meeting today. Home Minister spoke with CMs of both states. Centre and states are together taking all required preparation, NDRF DG told.
*A cyclone shelter where normal capacity is 1,000 can accommodate only 500 people, due to need for physical distancing. "Coordination, awareness on both Amphan and Covid-19, evacuation, community relationships is needed. NDRF is working on all these areas," NDRF DG said.
At least 3 lakh people have been evacuated from 3 coastal districts of West Bengal and moved to relief shelters, state CM Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday. She also requested Railways to not bring migrants back in the state. "I request Railways not to bring back migrant workers to West Bengal on Wednesday, Thursday morning as a precautionary measure," she said.
Cyclone Amphan (pronounced Um-Pun) is only the second Super Cyclone to have formed in the Bay of Bengal in the last two decades.
“Super Cyclone Amphan intensified very rapidly in the 24 hours between the evening of May 17 and May 18. Though there have been two or three super cyclones in the past, Super Cyclone Amphan is only the second after the Odisha Super Cyclone of 1999 to form in the North Indian Ocean. The Odisha Super Cyclone remains the strongest cyclone in the history of cyclones in this region,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said earlier.
Visuals from Bengal's North 24 Paraganas district.
Odisha Chief Secretary A K Tripathy said four senior officers with vast experience in handling such calamities have been deputed to different districts on the direction of chief minister Navin Patnaik to supervise preparations and guide the local administration.
There at 37 teams of the NDRF currently in Odisha and West Bengal. Rescue teams of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are also only standby. Officials from the Department of Telecommunications and Ministry of Power have been deployed in the states to ensure essential services are maintained.
Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired a third meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) this afternoon to review the preparedness of agencies to deal with Super Cyclone Amphan. Gauba directed state authorities to ensure people in low lying areas were evacuated, and essential supplies were stocked up.
The Met department, which has issued an "orange message" for West Bengal, warned of extensive damage in Kolkata, Hooghly, Howrah, South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday spoke to chief ministers of West Bengal and Odisha–Mamata Banerjee and Navin Patnaik respectively–and assured them of all possible help to deal with the situation arising out of the super cyclone. During the telephonic conversation with Banerjee, Shah took stock of the situation in West Bengal, where the cyclone is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
Rains lashed some parts of Odisha and West Bengal Tuesday as Super Cyclone ‘Amphan’ moved closer to the coasts and is expected to make landfall in the afternoon of May 20 between Digha in Bengal and Hatia island in Bangladesh. Both Bengal and Odisha governments have stepped up efforts to evacuate low-lying and vulnerable areas.