Strong Winds, Rain Near Coast! Read how alert and well prepared India is to face Cyclone Amphan
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Kolkata, May 20: Amphan has weakened from a super cyclone to an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday, causing strong winds and heavy rain in parts of Odisha and Bengal as it advanced towards the Indian coast. While it is likely to hit the coast by today evening, more than four lakh people have been evacuated to safety in the both the states.
The officials after the input from IMD have anticipated massive destruction when the cyclone strikes "Amphan is expected to pack winds gusting up to 185 kilometres per hour when it crosses West Bengal's Digha and Hatiya island of Bangladesh where around 20 million have been moved to over 12,000 shelters. Amphan is only the second super cyclone to form in the northeastern Indian Ocean since records began", the IMD said following which the Indian Navy is on high alert on the east coast for relief efforts.
The Odisha government has however undertaken a slew of measures to safeguard the state and its people from the upcoming storm. Those living near the coast have been warned against stepping out; fishermen have been warned to stay off coast. Forty teams of the NDRF have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha to deal with any emergency situation.
The Super Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ is very likely to cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (W.B.) and Hatiya Islands (Ban) close to Sundarbans on 20 May with max wind speed of 155-165 kmph. @Indiametdept @moesgoi
— RWFC New Delhi (@RWFC_ND) May 19, 2020
Press conference Link:https://t.co/pgxIOqc0Fr
In a statement, the Indian Meteorological Department has warned of flying objects, uprooting of electricity poles and boats getting torn away. The department says a storm surge of a height of about four-six metres above the astronomical tide will inundate the low-lying coastal areas in Bengal. The department says a storm surge of a height of about four-six metres above the astronomical tide will inundate the low-lying coastal areas in Bengal.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a high-level meeting to review the response measures and preparedness to tackle the storm. "Reviewed the preparedness regarding the situation due to cyclone 'Amphan.' The response measures as well as evacuation plans were discussed. I pray for everyone's safety and assure all possible support from the Central Government," PM Modi tweeted after the meeting. 'Amphan', pronounced as 'Um-pun', means sky. The name was given by Thailand in 2004, years ago. The storm is being constantly tracked by Doppler Weather Radar at Vishakhapatnam.