The storm system in the Bay of Bengal, Amphan, developed into a super cyclone on Monday and is expected to make landfall along the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Here are the latest updates:
41 NDRF teams deployed in West Bengal, Odisha
Forty-one teams of the National Disaster Response Force, including seven reserves, have been deployed in West Bengal and Odisha in view of the impending super cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’, its chief S N Pradhan said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference here, Pradhan said Cyclone Amphan is a second disaster coming in the time of already prevailing COVID-19, hence preparations have been made to that scale.
“A total of 41 NDRF teams, including reserves, are deployed in two Amphan-affected states of Odisha and West Bengal,” he said.
Fifteen NDRF teams are deployed and five in reserve in seven districts of Odisha while 19 teams actively deployed and two in reserve in six West Bengal districts, he said.
The NDRF director general said Amphan will be extremely severe cyclonic storm when it makes a landfall on Wednesday and its hit potential remains strong.
“Hence, we have prepared according to that,” he said.
’Amphan’ weakens into extremely severe cyclonic storm, rain lashes several parts of Odisha
Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ weakened into an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday as it moved closer to the coast, triggering rainfall in several parts of Odisha, where the state government stepped up efforts to evacuate people in vulnerable areas.
It lay centred over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 420 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 570 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 700 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh, said H R Biswas, the director of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.
The system is likely to move north-northeastwards over Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands during Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph, he said.
Nadda asks BJP workers to join relief operations for super cyclone Amphan
BJP president J P Nadda on Tuesday asked his party members to join in evacuation and relief operations in states being hit by super cyclone Amphan, and urged them to do so in cooperation with the local administration.
Mr. Nadda, a statement said, discussed important aspects of the relief and evacuation plan with senior BJP leaders of Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, through video conference.
“Super cyclone Amphan is heading towards coastal region of Orissa, West Bengal, partially touching Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. PM chaired a high-level meeting yesterday. A clear directive was given to BJP workers to cooperate in relief operations and evacuation process of people,” Mr. Nadda said.
Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ weakens as it rolls towards Indian shores
Super cyclone ‘Amphan’ weakened into an extremely severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal Tuesday afteroon as it rolled towards the Indian shores in West Bengal and Odisha where lakhs of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas and shifted to safety, officials said.
The two states are on high alert, as the cyclone, cramming high-velocity winds, triggered rains in several parts of Odisha.
An India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin said the cyclone lay centred over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 520 km south of Parad