Cyclone Amphan to intensify as serious storm surge: Here’s all you need to know

The cyclonic storm, pronounced UM-PUN, is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next six hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours.

Cyclonic storm Amphan over the Bay of Bengal is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm by Monday morning, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned.

Cyclonic storm Amphan is very likely to move nearly northwards during next 24 hours. (PTI)

Amphan, which is over the southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood, moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 6kmph during past six hours, intensified slightly and lay centred over the same region at 5:30am on Sunday about 990 km south of Paradip in Odisha, 1140km south-southwest of West Bengal’s Digha and 1260 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh.

The cyclonic storm, pronounced UM-PUN, is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next six hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 12 hours.

It is very likely to move nearly northwards during next 24 hours and then re-curve north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands in West Bengal and Hatiya Islands of Bangladesh during the afternoon or evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm.

Here’s all you need to know:

* Odisha’s 12 districts—Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh—have been put on alert following IMD’s forecast.

* Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has put a target of zero casualty before administration, which is in the midst of a battle against Covid-19.

* 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 the Cyclone Amphan.

* Odisha has urged the Centre to temporarily suspend ‘Shramik Special’ trains passing through areas falling in the direction of Cyclone Amphan.

* Cyclone Amphan is likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in the coastal districts of West Bengal from May 19. The system is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening and move north-northwestwards till May 17.

* It is very likely to recurve north-northeastwards thereafter towards West Bengal coast from May 18 to 20.

* Coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal, including North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly will experience heavy to very heavy rain on May 19 and 20.

* 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.

* Wind speed along and off the coastal areas of West Bengal will reach 45 to 55kmph with gusts of 65kmph from May 19 afternoon and will gradually increase to 75 to 85kmph with gusts up to 90kmph from May 20 morning.

* Disaster management teams are being sent to cyclone shelters in the coastal areas and other places of West Bengal for rescue and relief operations. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams will also be deployed for rescue and relief operations.

* The movement of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Fire Service personnel has already started in Odisha.

* Odisha has suspended leave of all government employees in the 12 coastal districts.

* The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has also prepared itself for maritime search and rescue operations. Its ships and aircraft on patrol are directing fishing boats operating at sea to return to the harbour for safety.

(with inputs from agencies)