Cyclone Amphan is currently crossing the West Bengal coast near the Sunderbans and will reach near Kolkata by evening, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday as the storm was making a landfall.
He said strong winds with an intensity of 160 kilometres per hour have commenced in coastal West Bengal districts.
"The first arm of Cyclone Amphan has touched the land. The eye of the cyclone is expected to touch land anytime," he said.
"Landfall process started at 2.30 pm with the entry of the front sector of the wall cloud region," he said.
The width of the wall cloud is around 120 kilometres and the diameter of the eye is about 40 kilometres.
The rear side is about 120 kilometres and the entire process will be completed by 3-4 hours.
South and North 24 Parganas will witness a lull as the eye of cyclone passes through, but heavy rains, strong winds will resume in the next 30 minutes.
"We are hopeful that by 7 pm the entire cyclone will enter the land," he added.
Mohapatra also asserted that the forecast of the cyclone was accurate.
India has also been issuing cyclone warning to Bangladesh, he added.
Extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' made a landfall at 2.30 pm on Wednesday between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, the IMD said.
Heavy rain and gale-force wind have affected several districts in the Gangetic West Bengal since morning, increasing in intensity with each passing hour.
At 3.05 pm, the wind speed at Dum Dum airport was recorded at 76 km per hour, the meteorological office said.
More than three lakh people were removed to safer places in West Bengal.
Earlier, the Cyclone left a trail of destruction in Odisha as it triggered heavy downpour coupled with high-velocity winds while hurtling towards the West Bengal coast on Wednesday, uprooting trees and flattening fragile structures, officials said.
More than 1.41 lakh people living in low-lying areas and thatched and mud houses in the vulnerable coastal regions were evacuated and shifted to cyclone shelters, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), P K Jena said.
The evacuees were accommodated in 2,921 shelters where cooked food and other facilities were provided, he said, adding that the cyclone developed and moved as per the IMD forecast.
"It took exactly the path forecast by them. I must thank the IMD, particularly its Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, as their accurate predictions enabled us handle the situation ably," the SRC said.
As the cyclone passed along the Odisha coast, it unleashed intense rainfall in several areas of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Ganjam, Bhadrak and Balasore districts since Tuesday.
Though two deaths were reported in Kendrapara and Bhadrak during the cyclone, the exact reasons are being ascertained, officials said.
WATCH: Rainfall and strong winds hit Bhadrak in Odisha
A three-month-old child died in Tihidi area of Bhadrak and a team has been sent to the village, they said, adding the exact cause will be ascertained after an autopsy.
A 67-year-old woman died in her house due to natural causes. She was living in a pucca RCC roof house and the cause of death is being ascertained, they added.
Kendrapara Collector Samarth Verma said Rs 12,000 was given as immediate relief and detailed inquiry will be conducted.
As per initial reports, a large number of trees and electric poles have been uprooted, while many thatched and mud houses were flattened due to the cyclonic storm, the SRC said.
No major damage has been done to the telecommunications infrastructure and the services remained by and large unaffected, he said.
Jena said Paradip recorded 214 mm of rainfall till Wednesday morning, while it was 87 mm in Puri, 70.5 mm in Chandbali, 58.5 mm in Balasore and 50 mm in Bhubaneswar.
Since 8.30 am on Wednesday, Paradip recorded 85.7mm rainfall, Balasore 43.8 mm, Chandbali 40.6 mm, Bhubaneswar 32.7 mm and Puri 16 mm.
People living in thatched, mud and 'kutcha' structures and vulnerable low-lying areas in the coastal districts were persuaded to move to cyclone shelters, he said, adding that many were initially reluctant in view of the COVID-19 scare.
"However, we dispelled their fears as all precautionary measures had been taken to ensure social distancing and hygiene at the cyclone shelters. While masks were provided, hand sanitisers and soaps were placed at the centres," Jena said
While a thorough assessment of damage caused by the cyclone will be made, there are reports of many trees being uprooted in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts.
Many betel vines have also been damaged in Dhinkia area of Jagatsinghpur district, the SRC said, adding response teams have been deployed in all the coastal districts to ensure quick restoration of power and road communication wherever they suffer damage.
36 teams of NDRF and ODRAF have been deployed in the 12 coastal districts which were put on alert.
10 teams were deployed in Balasore, seven in Bhadrak, six in Kendrapara and five in Jagatsinghpur, he said.
This apart, over 250 teams of fire service and 100 units of Odisha Forest Development Corporation have also been deployed. Roads blocked by uprooted trees are being cleared on a war footing, while power supply, if disrupted, will be restored at the earliest, the SRC said.
The NDRF, the federal disaster response force, has deployed a total of 41 teams, including reserves, in the two states for relief and rescue operations.
WATCH: High tide at Digha in West Bengal's East Medinipur
Each team consists of 45 personnel.
The disaster response force of the two states, besides fire and police personnel have also been deployed.
A team of Indian Navy divers has been stationed at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district with specialised equipment and can be rushed for rescue missions as and when required, a defence spokesman said.
Streets in Kolkata were mostly deserted and the local authority has advised that markets, which had opened following relaxations in the lockdown regulations on Monday, should remain shut.
The West Bengal capital has been alternately experiencing drizzle and downpour since early Wednesday morning.
The cyclone, officials fear, will cause large-scale damage to crops and plantations, and disrupt electricity and communication lines.
The Eastern Railway has cancelled the departure of Howrah-New Delhi AC Special Express train scheduled for Wednesday. The New Delhi-Howrah AC Special Express on Thursday has also been cacelled, railway officials said.
A Bhubaneswar report said the cyclonic system is being continuously monitored with the help of Doppler Weather Radar at Vishakhapatnam, Paradip and Gopalpur.
Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha P K Jena said reports of trees getting uprooted and huts being damaged and blown away have been received from several districts.
The impact of the cyclonic storm will be experienced in the state till late afternoon in parts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts.
'Amphan' has visited the state a year after cyclone Fani barrelled through vast parts of Odisha on May 3, claiming at least 64 lives and destroying vital infrastructure.