Amphan costliest cyclone on record in North Indian Ocean: WMO

New Delhi, Dec 03: A provisional report by World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has declared super cyclone Amphan as the costliest tropical cyclone on record in the North Indian Ocean.

According to the report, it caused economic losses amounting to over Rs 1,03,000 crore. The cyclone, which made landfall in May this year, led to large-scale devastation in coastal areas of India and Bangladesh, including Kolkata.

Amphan reached the category 5 equivalent intensity which has a wind speed greater than 156mph, according to the UK Met Office.

It weakened before landfall to a category 2 storm but led to extensive damage in Kolkata and surrounding areas.

The cyclone caused large-scale evacuation of residents of coastal areas in India and Bangladesh where 129 lives were lost in the cyclone.

Around 2.4 million people were displaced in India, mainly in West Bengal and Odisha, and 2.5 million in Bangladesh. While many returned soon afterwards, damage to more than 2.8 million homes resulted in displacement of thousands, the WMO statement added.