Cyclone Amphan likely to intensify into ‘Severe’ Cyclonic Storm

Cyclone Amphan is approaching the east coast of the country and the states in the east coast are bracing for its impact. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that wind speeds reaching up to 55-65 kmph. The cyclone system will be formed over the Bay of Bengal by Saturday evening. The storm brewing in the Bay of Bengal is likely to be a significant one for India and Bangladesh.

#CycloneAmphan to Form and Intensify Over BoB; Threat Lingers Over North AP, Odisha and #WestBengal Coastshttps://t.co/o0A8kzMkVx

📷: (N Kanaka / BCCL, Visakhapatnam) pic.twitter.com/viuGgsEt7e

— The Weather Channel India (@weatherindia) May 14, 2020

In a statement today, IMD Kolkata said, “The well-marked low-pressure area over the southeast Bay of Bengal concentrated into depression has formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST of today, the 16th May 2020 near latitude 10.4°N and longitude 87.0°E, about 1100 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 1250 km south of Digha (West Bengal) and 1330 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh).”

Odisha has put 12 coastal districts on alert.  The weather body has also warned of heavy downpour along with the coastal areas. Also in isolated regions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The weather agency has  forecast “adverse weather” along and off Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal coasts for the next five-six days

As predicted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF), Cyclone Amphan is likely to cross Odisha and West Bengal on May 19. It is predicted by the US weather organization to make landfall in the Bangladesh coast at speeds as high as 200-plus kilometers per hour.

Also Read: Cyclone Bulbul: Seven dead, one lakh houses damaged in West Bengal