Cyclone Amphan turns Super Cyclone; Odisha, Bengal on alert

New Delhi, May 18: Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said.

"Amphan" (pronounced UM-PN) that had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm gathered more strength over the Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It is likely to move north-northeastwards and fast across the northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island as a very severe cyclonic storm, the department said.

"The very severe cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours, intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm," a statement by the India Meteorological Department or IMD read.

It will cause heavy rainfall and stormy winds in the coastal areas. The disaster control teams have already reached the coastal areas in Odisha and an evacuation process has begun.

A cyclone alert has been sounded in West Bengal and Odisha. At least 10 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal. to clear out the coastal areas in view of the storm approaching.

The cyclone, according to an IMD report early Sunday, is developing into a severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and can potentially become a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours, S N Pradhan, the chief of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said in New Delhi.

Odisha, which has been ravaged by a string of cyclones over the last few years, including the cyclone Fani last year, has made arrangements to shift 11 lakh people from vulnerable areas, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

Twelve coastal districts--Ganjam, Gajapti, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh-- are on high alert. He said of the 809 cyclone shelters in the 12 coastal districts, 242 are currently being used as temporary medical camps for the returnees from different states amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

(with PTI inputs)