Cyclone Amphan live updates: Cyclonic storm claims 12 lives in Odisha and Bengal

Assam and Meghalaya are bracing for heavy to very heavy rain due to the impact of cyclonic storm Amphan on Thursday. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an alert in Assam and Meghalaya in view of the adverse climatic conditions to be experienced from Wednesday night. In other NE states, light to moderate rain is expected, the IMD said.

While Covid-19 had confined people to their homes, Cyclone Amphan brought hundreds living in slums and temporary homes out in the open as the fierce storm wreaked devastation on the city and fringes, ripping apart polythene sheet roofs, sweeping away corrugated shades and breaking down portions of temporary homes . Even as cops and civic officials tried to bring the homeless and those living in shanties to evacuation centres, social distancing protocols, imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, took a back seat for a day.

Severe cyclonic storm Amphan over Bangladesh & adjoining West Bengal coast moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 30 km/ph during the past 6 hours. Very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards & weaken further into a deep depression during the next 3 hours, reports ANI quoting IMD

12 killed as cyclone Amphan batters Bengal at 165kmph

Barrelling in from the Bay of Bengal with wind speeds of up to 185kmph, severe cyclonic storm Amphan on Wednesday cut a swathe through northern Odisha before bearing down on West Bengal, where it claimed 10 to 12 lives, flattened houses and cast aside trees and electricity poles like matchsticks in six-and-a-half hours of monstrous fury that left Kolkata and most of south Bengal pulverised. Read full story

The very severe cyclonic storm Amphan lay centred at 2130 hrs IST of today, over West Bengal near latitude 22.8°N and longitude 88.7°E about 50 km northeast of Kolkata, reports ANI quoting IMD

3 dead in West Bengal (PTI)

While man and a woman were reported killed when trees came crashing down on them in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, a 13-year-old girl died in a similar incident in adjoining Howrah.

Current intensity of the storm near the centre is 140-150Kmph gusting to 165Kmph, reports ANI quoting IMD

Power cuts reported in some areas of Kolkata following heavy rain and strong winds due to Cyclone Amphan (ANI)

Now, the system will move north-northeasterly, will weaken gradually and then become a depression tomorrow: HR Biswas, director, IMD-Bhubaneswar (ANI)

Odisha govt seeks preliminary report from districts

The Odisha government has asked the district collectors to submit cyclone Amphan damage assessment reports within 48 hours. The cyclone has caused widespread damage in the coastal districts of the state. (IANS)

Amphan crossed as a very severe cyclonic storm. While crossing, its wind speed was 155-165kmph gusting to 185kmph. Now it's located at 35km northeast of Sagar island in West Bengal,70km south of Kolkata, 95km east-northeast of Digha: HR Biswas, director of IMD-Bhubaneswar (ANI)

5,500 houses damaged, two people dead and two others severely injured in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal, as per the 7pm report by Basirhat sub-divisional officer

Vice president Venkaiah Naidu Naidu expresses concern over Cyclone Amphan (PTI)