Super cyclone Amphan: 840 km from Digha now
By Our Bureau Published On Tuesday, May 19th, 2020, 12:27:48 PM IST Last Updated Tuesday, January 5th, 2021, 3:07:38 AM IST
Super cyclone Amphan is closing in on Bengal and Odisha coast at the speed of nearly 180 km per hour. As per the latest reports, the cyclone was located at a distance of 570 km from Paradwip in Odisha and 840 km from Digha in West Bengal at around 2.30 am on Tuesday.
Amphan is reported to be as strong as the super cyclone which devastated Odisha and Bengal in 1999 and stronger than cyclones Aayla and Bulbul which caused massive destruction in the past.
There are warnings that this cyclone may cause maximum devastation in the coastal districts of West Bengal. The areas where the effect of this super cyclone might be maximum include East and West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Hooghly and Nadia.
The 1999 super cyclone had a devastating effect on life and property in Odisha where nearly 9,000 people lost their lives. According to the meterological department, Amphan will strike the main landmass at around afternoon on Wednesday anywhere between Hatia island of Bangladesh and Digha of West Bengal.
According to the meterological department, the cyclone may bring rainfall from Tuesday in Gangetic Bengal. From Wednesday morning, these areas can experience violent storm with a wind speed of nearly 110 to 120 km per hour.
All the areas where this cyclone will impact have been cautioned. This includes Digha, Namkhana, Bakkhali, Sagardwip, Patharpratima. Public announcements are being made by police to warn people. Cyclone shelters and NDRF teams have been kept ready. People are being evacuated from their homes to safe cyclone shelters and schools.