The destruction caused by Cyclone Amphan in East Midnapore in West Bengal on Wednesday. (Express photo)
Cyclone Amphan, which wreaked havoc in the states of West Bengal and Odisha and claimed at least 10-12 lives, is likely to weaken into a deep depression in the next three hours and then into a depression in the subsequent six hours, the Indian Meteorological Department said on Thursday.
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The super cyclonic storm made landfall in the coastal areas of West Bengal on Wednesday noon killing at least 10 people, and leaving a trail of destruction behind. Odisha is assessing the damage caused by the cyclone, which has also impacted its coastal districts. The cyclone hit the states at a time when it is already struggling to fight the transmission of the novel coronavirus.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informed that a meeting of a special task force will take place today to asses the damage and find ways to provide relief to the people. Chief secretary Rajiva Sinha said, “It will take time for our workers to reach the affected areas. It will be only day after tomorrow that proper work can begin. The cyclone is still in North 24 parganas. There is huge loss in agriculture. We will first provide humanitarian help like food, water and shelter to those affected. Then we will think of a way to financially help or provide job avenues, so that they can stand on their feet.”
Puri: Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik gives final touches to his sand sculpture on cyclone Amphan at Puri beach, Monday, May 18, 2020. (PTI)
Chengalpattu: Fishermen work at a beach in the backdrop of a rough sea due to Cyclone Amphan, at Mamallapuram in Chengalpattu district, Monday, May 18, 2020. (PTI)
At least 19 million children in parts of Bangladesh and India are at "imminent risk" from flash flooding and heavy rain as Cyclone Amphan makes landfall and the state of West Bengal is expected to take a direct hit from the powerful storm, the UN's children agency has warned. The UNICEF said it is also very concerned that the COVID-19 could deepen the humanitarian consequences of Cyclone Amphan in both the countries. Evacuees who have moved to crowded temporary shelters would be especially vulnerable to the spread of respiratory diseases like COVID-19, as well as other infections.
Another Twitter user shared a video of power generators exploding due to the impact of the storm in Kolkata's Phoolbagan area on Wednesday.
Kolkata airport was also flooded due to the heavy rains caused by the cyclone. A Twitter user shared a video to show the same.
With West Bengal in the eye of Amphan, Odisha is assessing the damage caused by the cyclone, which has impacted its coastal districts. However, officials say, the worst is now over for the state as Amphan has made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal. There were turbulent conditions on Wednesday for about seven hours, and the “damage has not been too bad”, an official said. On reports of the death of a person due to the cyclone, the official said that there were “contradictory versions”, and that an official confirmation will be available on Thursday.
In Kolkata, trees were uprooted in over thirty areas including New Alipore, Central Avenue, SN Banerjee Road, Bidhan Sarani, Shakespeare Sarani, Ballygunge, Maidan, Hastings, Prince Anwar Shah Road, Gariahat and others. In many places, tress were uprooted with traffic signals. All major roads were blocked. There were report of water logging in some streets too and rains continued since morning.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today expressed anguish at the loss of lives due to cyclone Amphan and appreciated the administrative machinery of West Bengal and Odisha for ensuring timely evacuation of people. "Deeply anguished by the loss of lives and devastation caused to crops and public & private properties by Amphan cyclone in West Bengal and Odisha," the Vice President's Secretariat tweeted quoting Naidu. Naidu appreciated state administrations for timely evacuation of lakhs of people to safer places and undertaking rescue and relief operations in coordination with the National Disaster Response Force in the affected areas. "My condolences to the bereaved families," he said.
As the cyclone intensified, wind gathered speed uprooting trees and damaging electrical poles. (Express photo)
In Kolkata, the storm began with a wind speed of 69 kmph but it reached 130 kmph at around 6.55 pm and thereafter increased its intensity. In Dum Dum area, maximum wind speed recorded was 133 kmph at 1920 IST. Districts of East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas were worst affected. The same areas were affected by cyclone Bulbul in November 2019.
Cyclone Amphan hit West Bengal and Odisha at a time when it is already struggling to fight the transmission of the novel coronavirus. Watch video here:
Speaking to media from control room at Nabanna (state secretariat), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, “Atleast 10 to 12 people have died. Districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Kolkata, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, even Puruli Bankura has been affected by Amphan. In fact the whole of South Bengal has been affected. We are shocked. It will take three to four days to asses the damage done." “On one hand we are fighting with Covid 19 on the other hand lakhs of migrants are coming back. Over all this now the cyclone. I think that this (Amphan) is a disaster bigger than Covid 19. I would request (centre) please forget politics and co operate with us and save the people,” she added.
Cyclone Amphan left a trail of destruction in East Midnapore, West Bengal, on Wednesday. (Express photo)
Cyclone Amphan, which wreaked havoc in the states of West Bengal and Odisha and claimed at least 10-12 lives, is likely to weaken into a deep depression in the next three hours and then into a depression in the subsequent six hours, the weather body said today.
With West Bengal in the eye of Amphan, Odisha is assessing the damage caused by the cyclone, which has impacted its coastal districts.
However, officials say, the worst is now over for the state as Amphan has made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal. There were turbulent conditions on Wednesday for about seven hours, and the “damage has not been too bad”, an official said.
On reports of the death of a person due to the cyclone, the official said that there were “contradictory versions”, and that an official confirmation will be available on Thursday. Read more here
With West Bengal in the eye of Amphan, Odisha is assessing the damage caused by the cyclone, which has impacted its coastal districts.
However, officials say, the worst is now over for the state as Amphan has made landfall in neighbouring West Bengal. There were turbulent conditions on Wednesday for about seven hours, and the “damage has not been too bad”, an official said.
On reports of the death of a person due to the cyclone, the official said that there were “contradictory versions”, and that an official confirmation will be available on Thursday. Read more here
Cyclone Amphan, which is pronounced as Um-pun, is ripping through West Bengal and parts of Bangladesh. After making landfall at 2.30 pm between Digha in West Bengal and and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, Amphan cut a swathe through the coastal areas, flattening dwellings, uprooting trees and electric poles. Did you miss our explainer on some of your most frequently asked questions about the cyclone? Read it here
Over one million consumers in the coastal areas of Bangladesh were without power after strong winds snapped electricity lines and many houses were destroyed as the country was hit by cyclone Amphan. "More than one million consumers in at least 17 associations of the Rural Electrification Board have lost electricity," bdnews24.com reported. Apart from this, almost 40,000 customers of West Zone Power Distribution Company have lost electricity supply. PTI
At least 10 people have died in West Bengal due to cyclone and various districts have been devasted.'Atleast 10 to 12 people have died. Districts like North and South 24 parganas, Howrah, Kolkata, West Midnapore, East Midnapore, even Puruli Bankura has been affected by Amphan. In fact the whole of South Bengal has been affected. We are shocked. It will take three to four days to asses the damage done,' said Mamata Banerjee speaking to media from control room at Nabanna (state secretariat). 'On one hand we are fighting with Covid 19 on the other hand Lakhs of migrants are coming back. Over all this now the cyclone. I think that this (Amphan) is a disaster bigger than Covid 19. I would request (centre) please forget politics and co operate with us and save the people,' she added.
As Amphan batters Kolkata, the city has been damaged. Terrible visuals of electricity transformers exploding, trees falling, walls collapsing power and landline phone outages reported.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday expressed concern over the situation arising out of Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha. The Vice President's Secretariat tweeted saying Naidu has expressed concern over the situation arising out of the cyclone. According to latest reports, an extremely severe cyclone packing winds of up to 190 kmph roared into West Bengal on Wednesday, dumping heavy rain and leaving a trail of destruction that left at least two people dead.
"He spoke to the Union Minister Babul Supriyo, and Rajya Sabha MPs Manas Ranjan Bhunia & Sukhendu Sekhar Roy to ascertain the impact in West Bengal following the landfall of the cyclone," the VP Secretariat said.
Streets in Kolkata waterlogged, trees uprooted and houses damaged due to strong winds and heavy rain as Amphan crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya Islands across Sunderbans, between 15:30 and 17:30 hours today. The extremely severe Cyclone Amphan over Northwest Bay Of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 25 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. The Super Cyclone Amphan over Northwest BayOfBengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 25 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed WestBengal – Bangladesh coasts as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.
After making landfall at 2.30 p.m. between Digha in West Bengal and and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, cyclone Amphan cut a swathe through the coastal areas, flattening fragile dwellings, uprooting trees and electric poles. At least 6.58 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha before the cyclone struck.
With Cyclone Amphan making landfall, IMD DG Dr M Mohapatra tells Esha Roy that they expect windspeeds to go upto 185 kmph over the North and South 24 Paraganas, which will be the worst-hit by the cyclone.
“A tidal wave of 4-5 metres above astronomical tide is likely to travel for 10-15 kilometers inland and inundate the lowlying regions of these two districts. A tidal wave of 3-4 metres above astronomical tide is also expected in East Midnapore and north coastal Odisha, inundating these areas. The region being riverine, the rivers and inlets will carry the tidal wave into the land,” says Dr Mohapatra.
“We are still watching the cyclone very closely, as the work does not end with the landfall. The next 24 hours will be crucial to asses and
repair the damage that will be caused. We have evacuated 5 lakh people in West Bengal to cyclone shelters, and another 1,58,640 people in
Odisha. We have based our preparedness on cyclone Fani and our teams are equipped with satellite communications, plenty of tree and pole
cutters,” he says.
Intense rainfall was recorded in several areas of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Ganjam, Ganjam, Bhadrak and Balasore districts since Tuesday. The rains and high-velocity winds will ebb away in Odisha by late Wednesday night by when the cyclone will likely have caused massive damage to standing crops, plantations and infrastructure, Mohapatra said. He said tidal surge of up to five metres could occur in North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts that could submerge areas in a radius of 15 km. The strong winds and rain could continue till tomorrow in West Bengal, he said. The turbulence will likely extend to Assam and Meghalaya, triggering heavy to very heavy rain on Thursday.
Two women were reportedly killed in Howrah district and Minakhan area of North 24 Parganas district due to uprooting of trees. At least 6.58 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha before the cyclone struck.
Cyclone Amphan will reach near Kolkata by evening and the city along with adjoining districts will witness strong winds with an intensity of 110-120 kilometres per hour, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Wednesday as the storm was making landfall. The extremely severe cyclonic storm' Amphan will completely enter the land by 7 PM, Mohapatra added. The cyclone is moving at a speed of 25-30 kilometres per hour. Winds with a speed of 155-165 kilometres per hour have commenced in South and North 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts.
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.
The IMD said the first arm of Cyclone Amphan had touched land and the eye of cyclone was expected to touch land anytime now. DG NDRF said over 5 lakh people in Bengal and over 1.58 lakh people in Odisha have been evacuated. The cyclone has already triggered heavy rains in coastal Odisha and West Bengal, uprooting trees and destroying fragile structures, with winds gusting to around 160 kmph.
Bhadrak and Balasore in Odisha will continue to have damaging impact for 2-3 more hours. After this Odisha will not have any damaging impact said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra
The cyclone will reach as a depression in regions of Assam tomorrow resulting in heavy railnfall in the state, said IMD DG.
24 additional alert teams on hot stand-by, for airlift, have been kept ready, they can be deployed not just during, but even after, the cyclone, they can get ready in 15 minutes and be airlifted: NDRF Chief #CycloneAmphan #CycloneAmphanUpdate
The MeT department said that strongest winds will be expected in West Bengal with Kolkata in line of storm. The wind speed will however decrease after evening.
Addressing the media, IMD chief said the Cyclone is entering West Bengal near Sunderbans. He said the intensity is most around Sundarbans. Wind speed is up to 106 km/hr in Paradeep.
Based on experiences during cyclone FANI, all the teams are equipped with tree cutters/pole cutters for post landfall restoration, if need arises said SN Pradhan, NDRF chief
NDRF chief says the situation is fast changing. With Battallion headquaters in West Bengal and Odisha, both the states have 20 teams each deployed for the safety of people. The NDRF teams are in action and have been coordination through satallite communications, said NDRF Chief
At 3.05 pm, wind speed at Dum Dum airport was recorded at 76 km per hour, the Met said.The system is likely to move north-northeastwards after landfall and pass close to Kolkata in its eastern side causing extensive damage and flooding of low-lying areas of the city, the Met department warned.
Heavy rain and gale wind have affected several districts in the Gangetic West Bengal since morning and the intensity of the downpour and wind increased gradually with every passing hour.
CycloneAmphan centered at 12:30 pm as an extremely severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal about 95 km south-southeast of Digha, West Bengal: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
The 4-hour landfall process of cyclone Amphan has begin. It has weakened into extremely severe cyclonic storm. The waves are expected to be between 4-6 metres.
A West Bengal-bound special train scheduled to depart from Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday was cancelled due to the forecast of cyclonic storm 'Amphan' making landfall there, a senior official said. The train was supposed to ferry over 1,000 people of West Bengal stranded in HP due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown. Una Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kumar said the special train scheduled to depart on May 20 from the Amb railway station for Howrah in West Bengal was cancelled due to the forecast of the cyclone.
The wind speed has picked up and the rains have intensified. The cyclone will make landfall anytime soon between 4pm and 6pm. The chief of the the federal contingency force said rescue forces and administration are concerned and geared to tackle a storm surge or tidal waves up to 4-6 metres high as it is a new moon night or 'amavasya'.
'Amphan' is likely to make a landfall somewhere between Digha and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh close to the Sunderbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, between afternoon and evening of Wednesday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The intensity near the centre of the storm was 170 kmph to 180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph, the weatherman said, adding gale-force winds of 110-120 kmph will slam Kolkata when the cyclone passes over it later in the day, before weakening further into a cyclonic storm over Nadia and Murshidabad in West Bengal.
A look at the cyclone centre at Udaipur near West Bengal Odiha border. NDRF personnel are carrying out sanitisation work. Local panchayat have started distributing food grains. (Express Photo)
The Extremely Severe Cyclone Amphan has inched closer to Digha and Sagar Islands in West Bengal and is expected to make a landfall anytime from 4pm onwards today. As the storm approached south West Bengal, the rainfall intensity has picked up. Digha, where the landfall is expected, received rainfall measuring 44.1mm in the last five hours, stated India Meteorological Department (IMD). Rainfall during the same period recorded at other stations here include Haldia (21.5mm), Kolkata (17.6mm), Dumdum (5.3mm). In the last six hours, cyclone Amphan has moved with a speed of 27km / hour.
Cyclone 'Amphan' lay centred about 170 km south of West Bengal's Digha as an extremely severe cyclonic storm over west central Bay of Bengal and is likely to make landfall near Sunderbans between Wednesday afternoon and evening, the MeT department said. 'Amphan' is likely to move north-northeastwards after landfall and pass close to Kolkata in its eastern side, causing extensive damage and flooding of low-lying areas in the city, the weather office said.
The NDRF has deployed a total of 41 teams, including reserves, in the two states for relief and rescue works in wake of the cyclone. As many as 15 teams are in active deployment and five are in reserve for seven districts of Odisha, while 19 teams are actively deployed and two in reserve for six districts of West Bengal, the NDRF chief had said on Tuesday. He had said 'Amphan' will be "an extremely severe cyclonic storm when it makes a landfall on May 20, somehwere between the Digha island in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, and its hit potential remains strong."
As per ground reports received till this morning, rains and winds are being experienced in affected areas of Odisha and West Bengal, Pradhan said. The DG said the windspeed being experienced right now is about 100 kms per hour and it is expected to increase further in the day. The states have been informed about the storm surge and tidal waves situation and "we are preparing accordingly," he said. "We hope all will go well and action will be taken as per strategy," he said.
The India Meteorological Department said that the Cyclone ‘Amphan’ lay centered over Northwest and adjoining Westcentral Bay of Bengal, about 155km south-southeast of Paradip, Odisha, 280 km south of Digha, West Bengal at 5:30 am on Wednesday. It is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya islands during afternoon to evening hours today with a maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph.
North Odisha, West Bengal, Sikkim and northeastern states are likely to experience fairly widespread rain accompanied by thundershowers during the next 2-3 days. Isolated extremely heavy falls are also likely in Gangetic West Bengal today.Read More
About 4.5 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable area in West Bengal and Odisha ahead of the landfall of cyclonic storm 'Amphan', NDRF chief S N Pradhan said on Wednesday. 'Amphan', termed as an extremely severe cyclonic storm, is expected to make a landfall on Wednesday noon or evening at a coastal area between West Bengal and Bangladesh. Issuing a video message update, the chief of the the federal contingency force said rescue forces and administration are concerned and geared to tackle a storm surge or tidal waves up to 4-6 metres high as it is a new moon night or 'amavasya'. As per data received from the state governments, he added, about 1.20-1.25 lakh people have been evacuated in Odisha and about 3.30 lakh in West Bengal in view of the cyclone. -- PTI
* If you are at a shelter, remain there until informed that you can return home safely.
* You must get inoculated against diseases immediately.
* Avoid lose, dangling wires from lamp posts.
* If you have to drive, do it carefully.
* Clear debris from your premises immediately.
Along with the tips mentioned below, make sure to keep a battery operated torch with enough dry cells, anchor removable objects that may fly with strong winds like a dustbin, and stock up on plenty non-perishable food that can be used in emergency.
Safety measures during and after cyclone
Indoors
* Switch off electrical mains and gas supply
* Keep your doors and windows shut
* If your house feels unsafe, leave early before the onset of a cyclone
* Listen to radio
* Drink boiled or chlorinated water
* Rely only on official warning
Outdoors
* Do not enter damaged buildings
* Watch out for broken electric pole, wires and other sharp objects
* Seek a safe shelter as soon as possible
With the extremely severe cyclone Amphan moving closer to mainland, parts of West Bengal and Odisha are now witnessing heavy downpour. As the respective state governments take initiatives to curb the impact of the cyclone, it is also crucial that people take measures in their personal capacities to ensure safety.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has issued guidelines for people, suggesting dos and don’ts before, during and after cylcone Amphan. Here’s what they said:
Safety measures before cyclone
* Ignore rumours. Stay calm, do not panic.
* Keep you mobile phones charged to ensure connectivity.
* Listen to radio, watch TV, read newspapers for weather updates.
* Keep your documents and valuables in water-proof containers.
* Prepare an emergency kit with essential items
* Untie animals to ensure their safety
The system is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam, Paradip and Gopalpur, Jena said. He said Paradip recorded 214 mm of rainfall since Tuesday, while it was 87 mm in Puri, 70.5 mm in Chandbali, 58.5 mm in Balasore and 50 mm in Bhubaneswar as heavy downpour battered many parts of coastal Odisha. People living in thatched, mud and 'kucha' structures are being persuaded to move to the cyclone shelters for their safety, he said, adding that many people were initially reluctant to shift in view of COVID-19 scare.
As cyclone "Amphan" hurtled towards the coast, heavy downpour coupled with high velocity winds pounded coastal Odisha, uprooting trees and flattening fragile structures, officials said on Wednesday. More than 1.25 lakh people have so far been evacuated from low-lying coastal areas and the process of evacuation was still underway in some places like Balasore on Wednesday morning, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), P K Jena, said Intense rainfall was recorded in several areas of Puri, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Ganjam, Ganjam, Bhadrak and Balasore districts since Tuesday, officials said. -- PTI
Heavy rains and winds lashed parts of Bangladesh today. Bangladesh's disaster management officials said they were working on a war footing to evacuate about two million people from coastal areas as Cyclone Amphan approached from the Bay of Bengal. -- Reuters
20 rescue teams with Gemini boats and medical teams also kept ready for augmenting rescue and relief efforts in Odisha and West Bengal. Naval aircraft also standing by at Naval Air Stations - INS Dega, Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali, Arakkonam: Indian Navy. -- ANI
The Met department has advised that all establishments and markets remain closed in Kolkata and adjoining areas and movement of people be restricted on May 20. There is likely to be disruption of rail and road link at several places, uprooting of communication and power poles, extensive damage to all types of 'kutcha' houses and some damage to "old badly managed pucca" structures and potential threat from flying objects, the weatherman warned. There is also likelihood of extensive damage to standing crops, plantations and orchards and blowing down of palm and coconut trees, the Met said. The weatherman has advised diversion or suspension of rail and road traffic in the districts which are likely to be affected.
Cyclone Amphan brought a heavy downpour over Odhisha, with Paradip port recording its wettest May day in a decade. During the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Wednesday, rainfall measuring 223.8mm was recorded at Paradip.
As of 9.30 am, the Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Amphan lay 123 kms southeast of this port; 177 km south-southeast of Digha, West Bengal. Other cities that experienced heavy rainfall here include Puri (98.2mm), Chandbali (75.2mm), Balasore (71.3mm) and Bhubaneshwar (58mm).
Coastal Odisha will experience gale winds ranging between 100 – 110 km/hr gusting to 125 km/hr along Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts till Wednesday afternoon. Strong winds would lash Bhadrak district till evening, today.
During the last six hours, the storm has moved closer to the coast at a speed of 22km / hr. -- Express News Service
Here are some photos of weather from West Bengal's North 24 Pargana on Wednesday morning before cyclone Amphan makes landfall. (Express photos by Shashi Ghosh)
The departure of Howrah-New Delhi AC Special Express for Wednesday has been cancelled owing to the super cyclone 'Amphan', the Eastern Railway said here. It said that since the system is most likely to cause heavy rain and storm, the departure of 02301 Howrah-New Delhi AC Special Express on Wednesday and 02302 New Delhi-Howrah AC Special Express on May 21 would remain cancelled. The Met department in an advisory asked for stoppage or diversion of train movements owing to damage likely to be caused by the super cyclonic storm. --PTI
The cyclone will move north-northeastwards and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya close to Sunderbans during the afternoon to the evening of today with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph.
Cyclone Amphan has moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 22 kmph during the past 6 hours.