Amphan turns Super Cyclone, PM Modi reviews response preparedness

Amphan turns Super Cyclone, PM Modi reviews response preparedness
The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ has intensified further into a Super Cyclonic Storm, IMD said.

Cyclone 'Amphan' has intensified into a super cyclonic storm 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 on Monday.

"The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ (pronounced as UM-PUN) over west-central and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards with a speed of 04 kmph during past 06 hours, intensified further into a Super Cyclonic Storm," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

As of 11:30 am, the cyclone over west-central and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 920 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1040 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), it added. 

"It is very likely to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the Afternoon / Evening of 20th May 2020 as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 165-175 kmph gusting to 185 kmph" it further said. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the response preparedness against cyclone Amphan. 

The prime minister took full stock of the situation and reviewed the measures as well as the evacuation plan presented by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a statement from the Prime Minister's Office said.

During a presentation on the response plan, the NDRF director general informed that 25 NDRF teams have been deployed on the ground, while 12 others are ready in reserve.

Twenty-four other NDRF teams are also on standby in different parts of the country, the force chief told the meeting, the statement said.


Amphan' likely to turn into 'Super Cyclone' before landfall; evacuation underway
'Amphan' had intensified into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' overnight


According to the latest bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone 'Amphan' which is heading towards India's eastern coast as an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' is likely to intensify into a 'Super Cyclone' before making landfall



The Director-General of the IMD, Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra, confirmed the development. "Cyclone 'Amphan', in the Bay of Bengal, intensified into an 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm' at 2:30 AM today. It is expected to further intensify into a 'Super Cyclonic Storm' in the next 12 hours," he said, adding, "It will move towards north-northeast direction and cross Digha (West Bengal)-Hathiya island (Bangladesh) on the afternoon and evening of May 20 with a wind speed of 155-165 kmph."

The IMD bulletin issued in this regard notified the states of Odisha and West Bengal of the current location of the cyclonic storm and provided further details regarding the storm intensifying further and making landfall on Wednesday.