Cyclone Amphan Set To Turn ¡®Severe¡¯ Before It Makes Landfall. Odisha, West Bengal On High Alert

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed four teams each in Odisha and West Bengal as the agency prepares for the landfall of cyclonic storm 'Amphan'. Cyclone Amphan which formed as a deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal later intensified into a cyclonic storm on Saturday.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Amphan is expected to re-curve north-northwestwards across northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha coasts on Monday and Tuesday.

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In the next 12 hours, roughly by Monday morning, it is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and into a very severe cyclonic storm.

"Cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN' over Southeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood moved northwestwards slowly during past 6 hours & lay centred over the same region at 2030 hrs on May 16. It's likely to intensify further into Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hrs," Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar warned.

"And into a very severe cyclonic storm by May 18 morning. It's very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till May 17 & then re-curve north-northeastwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal towards WB & adjoining North Odisha from May 18 to 20," it added.

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The cyclone is very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till May 17 and then re-curve towards West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coasts during May 18-20, the weather department added. IMD warned fishermen not to venture into the north Bay of Bengal along & off West Bengal¨CNorth Odisha coasts from May 18 to 21. It advised those already out at deep sea to return to coasts by Sunday.

According to the forecast squall wind speed of 65 to 75 kmph gusting to 85 kmph prevailing over the southeast southwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas is likely to increase becoming 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph over east-central and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal by Sunday evening. By May 18 morning, southern parts of Bay of Bengal likely to witness wind speed of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.

Wind speed of 160-170 kmph gusting to 190 kmph likely to be witnessed over northern parts of central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Bay of Bengal on May 19 and with speeds of 155-165 kmph gusting to 180 kmph over north Bay of Bengal by May 20 morning.

12 districts in Odisah, Ganjam, Gajapati, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda and Nayagarh have been put on alert and state chief minister Naveen Patnaik has put a target of zero casualty before administration.