Cyclone Amphan Live Update: Cyclone Amphan is one of the fiercest storms to form over Bay of Bengal.
Nearly four lakh people have been evacuated in Bengal and Odisha ahead of the expected landfall of Cyclone Amphan that may hit the Indian coast this evening.
In Bangladesh, over two million people have been evacuated to safety to 12,078 cyclone shelters
The storm had weakened from a super cyclone to an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday and triggered strong winds and rain in parts of Odisha and Bengal. This is the second pre-monsoon cyclone to hit India in two years and has been anticipated as one of the worst storm over Bay of Bengal in decades.
It will hit Bengal at a time when restrictions are in place due to coronavirus. On Tuesday, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief SN Pradhan told reporters they face the "double challenge" of the coronavirus pandemic and a natural disaster.
Forty teams of the NDRF have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha to deal with any emergency situation, Mr Pradhan said, adding that Amphan is "a second disaster coming amid COVID-19 pandemic" and it needs continuous monitoring.
Here are the Live Updates on Cyclone AMPHAN:
In the wake of Cyclone Amphan, the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) is monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal closely and ships at Visakhapatnam have been kept on standby to proceed to affected areas to undertake humanitarian aid, distress relief, evacuation, and logistic support.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans near afternoon today and is likely to cause havoc in parts of Odisha and West Bengal.
According to the Navy, these ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material including food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets in sufficient quantities, reported news agency ANI.
Wind speed has picked up near coastal Odisha& is blowing at around 100 kmph at Paradip. Wind is not that strong in West Bengal. Odisha has evacuated nearly 1.5 lakh people from Balasore & Bhadrak & West Bengal has evacuated over 3.3 lakh people: NDRF Chief SN Pradhan on #Amphanpic.twitter.com/utHkxbW2RP
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
Heavy rain and strong winds continue to hit Odisha as a widespread effect of cyclone Amphan.
Odisha: Heavy rain and strong wind continues to lash Chandipur, as widespread effect of #AmphanCyclonepic.twitter.com/ImcMLCW4P4
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
Eastern Naval Command in high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance. Naval ships at Vizag on standby to proceed to affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief, evacuation, & logistic support including providing medical aid: Indian Navy pic.twitter.com/cXYSpTYwtB
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
#WATCH Cyclone 'AMPHAN' lies 110kms from Paradip & is moving at a speed of 18-19kmph. An hour ago, wind speed of 102kmph was observed at Paradip. Landfall expected near Sunderbans in West Bengal by late evening today. Next 6-8 hrs crucial: PK Jena, Spl Relief Commissioner,Odisha pic.twitter.com/EKYnNwVefy
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
#WATCH Cyclone 'AMPHAN' lies 110kms from Paradip & is moving at a speed of 18-19kmph. An hour ago, wind speed of 102kmph was observed at Paradip. Landfall expected near Sunderbans in West Bengal by late evening today. Next 6-8 hrs crucial: PK Jena, Spl Relief Commissioner,Odisha pic.twitter.com/EKYnNwVefy
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
As many as 1,19,075 people have been evacuated from 13 vulnerable districts of Odisha. Due to the cyclone, rainfall and strong winds are expected to batter several districts of Odisha today, news agency ANI reported.
Cyclone AMPHAN: Massive Devastation Expected In Coastal Areas OBSERVATIONS FROM THE COAST
- India Met. Dept. (@Indiametdept) May 20, 2020
WIND-SPEED (KMPH):
PARADIP-102, CHANDBALI-74, BHUBANESHWAR-37,
BALASORE-61, PURI-41 AND GOPALPUR-4 KMPH. 1/2
Hourly Bulletin No. 3 Link :https://t.co/ZTsIoRbPKD.../bulletin/hourly.pdf
#AmphanUpdates@NDRFHQ Teams evacuating people and domestic animals to safe cyclone shelters in #Kendrapara district, #Odisha.@PIB_India@MIB_India@PIBHomeAffairs@ndmaindia@satyaprad1@nityanandraibjp@dmkendrapara@AnubhavMohanty_@SRC_Odisha@gapg_dept@RDOdishapic.twitter.com/IE3m90PTRz
- PIB in Odisha #StayHome #StaySafe (@PIBBhubaneswar) May 19, 2020
Superfacts On Cyclone AmphanSuperfacts On Cyclone Amphan#WATCH Strong winds at Chandipur in Balasore district, as #CycloneAmphan is expected to make landfall today. #Odishapic.twitter.com/O87dN6mWnd
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
#Watch | Kolkata on Red Alert in light of cyclone #Amphan which is likely to make landfall in West Bengal today pic.twitter.com/FQdEFD5MiH
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2020
Odisha: Strong winds and high tides at Chandipur in Balasore district, as #CycloneAmphan is expected to make landfall today. pic.twitter.com/4Na7Xbsc4C
- ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
#Watch | High tide in Digha, West Bengal where cyclone #Amphan is likely to make landfall pic.twitter.com/B3SawE9GH3
- NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2020
