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Cyclone Amphan intensifies into severe cyclonic storm: Update
Ahead of Cyclone Amphan making landfall, Odisha has urged the Centre to temporarily suspend ‘Shramik Special’ trains passing through areas falling in the direction of the storm.
Cyclone Amphan that has been circling over the Bay of Bengal for the last two days has now intensified into a severe cyclonic storm raising the possibility of heavy rainfall coupled with high velocity winds in several coastal districts of Odisha and parts of Gangetic West Bengal, the MeT department said on Sunday. The cyclonic storm, pronounced UM-PUN, is very likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours.
Ahead of Cyclone Amphan making landfall, Odisha has urged the Centre to temporarily suspend ‘Shramik Special’ trains passing through areas falling in the direction of the storm. The Odisha government on Saturday announced that it will shift migrant workers lodged in various quarantine centres near the coast to safer places.“Saving of lives is our priority. We should put our best efforts to save every precious human life,” Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik had said.
Tracking the movement of Cyclone Amphan in 10 points:
1. The Bhubaneswar unit of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert on Sunday indicating that West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts are likely to be affected by Cyclone Amphan which is brewing over Southeast Bay of Bengal.
2. The cyclone which is now a severe cyclonic storm is very likely to intensify further into a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during the next 12 hours, according to MeT department data.
3. Cyclone Amphan is likely to make landfall in between West Bengal’s Sagar Islands (well known for an annual pilgrimage thronged by devotees) and Hatiya Islands in neighbouring Bangladesh during the afternoon or early evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm.
ALSO READ | Cyclone Amphan likely to bring heavy rain in coastal Bengal districts from May 19
4. The MeT department has predicted heavy rainfall in isolated places over the Odisha districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara. Rainfall will commence from May 18 evening, according to the advisory.
5. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers are possible over the districts of coastal Odisha and Koraput.
6. Cyclone Amphan may become phenomenal over southern parts of central Bay of Bengal from Sunday night, over northern parts of central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Bay of Bengal on May 19 and over north Bay of Bengal on May 20.
7. Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal to deal with the approaching cyclone, the NDRF chief said on Sunday.
8. Seven teams of the NDRF have been deployed in West Bengal. These teams are stationed in six districts -- South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly. In Odisha, the remaining 10 teams have been deployed in seven districts -- Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj. Normally, one team of NDRF consists of around 45 personnel.
9. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has put forth a target of ‘zero casualty’ before the state administration, which is in the midst of a battle against the Covid-19 pandemic. The state government has predicted that around seven lakh people in 649 villages along the sea coast are likely to be severely affected due to Cyclone Amphan.
10. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into north Bay of Bengal along and off West Bengal-Odisha coasts from May 18 to 21 and those who are out in the sea were asked to return to coasts by May 17.
