ALERT: Amphan intensifies into extremely severe cyclonic storm; NDRF on standby

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Cyclonic storm Amphan, that has been brewing in the Bay of Bengal for last few days has intensified further into an extremely severe cyclonic storm and is likely to become Super Cyclone, India's Met Department (IMD) has warned. The cyclonic storm Amphan is likely to hit the coastal districts of West Bengal, Odisha and many parts of Bangladesh. "Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’: 18th May 2020 (1000 to 1027 IST). Likely to intensify further as Super Cyclone,"  IMD tweeted.

Personnel of the NDRF were deployed on Sunday in West Bengal and Odisha, which said it was ready to undertake massive evacuation of 11 lakh people likely to be severely hit by the cyclone 'Amphan', PTI reported quoting officials from Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata and New Delhi.

"The Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours, has intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm and lay centred at 0230 hrs IST of today, the 18th May, 2020 over central parts of South Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal near latitude 12.9 degrees North and longitude 86.4 degrees East, about 820 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 980 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1090 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh)," India's Met Department said in a statement. 

Cyclone Amphan Trajectory 

"The trajectory is mostly towards West Bengal, Sagar Islands and probably towards Bangladesh. But we have to watch the trajectory very closely. NDRF has deployed the teams well in advance. They are either deployed or moving towards the destination," SN Pradhan, the chief of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said in New Delhi.

As it rolls in towards the Indian shores ominously, the cyclone is likely to unleash heavy rain and high-velocity winds in large swathes of coastal Odisha and West Bengal. 

It is likely to cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands in West Bengal and Hatiya islands in Bangladesh between afternoon and evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm, Regional MeT Director in Kolkata G K Das said.

 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 was quoted by PTI. 

Cyclone Amphan: 12 Odisha districts on HIGH ALERT!

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.

"We have 567 cyclone and flood shelters available to house the people in case evacuation is required. In addition, we have arranged 7,092 buildings to keep people if required," Jena said.

Cyclone Amphan: West Bengal districts on HIGH ALERT

Under its impact, the coastal districts of Gangetic West Bengal, including North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, East and West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to experience light to moderate rain at many places with a heavy downpour at isolated places on May 19.