By Arré Bench May. 20, 2020
Cyclone Amphan – the fiercest storm over Bay of Bengal in decades – is expected to make landfall in a few hours with winds gusting at 185 kmph. The heavy rainfall and high waves are leaving a trail of destruction with uprooted trees and collapsed houses.
Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years, is likely to hit West Bengal and Odisha between 4 pm and 6 pm today. Amphan, which weakened from a “super cyclone” to an “extremely severe cyclonic storm”, is being constantly tracked by Doppler Weather Radar at Visakhapatnam. It is only the second “super cyclone” to form in the northeastern Indian Ocean since records have been maintained and is expected to pack winds gusting up to 185 kilometres per hour when it crosses West Bengal’s Digha and Hatiya island of Bangladesh.
Millions of people in India and Bangladesh are in the path of a powerful cyclone, which is due to make landfall on Wednesday https://t.co/q4avs4IDGl
Track Amphan: https://t.co/Fr2Cb5UEg7
Read more: https://t.co/q4avs4IDGl pic.twitter.com/A2lQ9Qbabi
— CNN International (@cnni) May 19, 2020
Winds are picking up pace and heavy rains have been a feature for the last few hours, as parts of India and Bangladesh brace for the impact of the storm.
Visuals from Sagar Island, West Bengal#CycloneAmphan #CyclonicStormAMPHAN pic.twitter.com/UBgZnnjS1X
— DD News (@DDNewslive) May 20, 2020
.@NDRFHQ workers asking people to stay indoors ahead of #CyclonicStormAMPHAN in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district. #CycloneAmphanUpdate pic.twitter.com/CIDv3KZvWN
— Soutik Biswas (@soutikBBC) May 20, 2020
In Odisha’s Paradip, wind speeds touching 102 kmph have uprooted trees. Reports are also coming in of mud houses collapsing in Jagatsinghpur.
Trees uprooted in Odisha’s Paradip as wind speed touches 102 kmph. #CycloneAmphan is expected to make landfall today
(📸 ANI) pic.twitter.com/jfsjQkQ6bL
— NDTV (@ndtv) May 20, 2020
Strong winds under the impact of #Amphan uprooted trees in the port town Paradip; road clearance drive underway.#CycloneAmphanUpdate #Odisha pic.twitter.com/8v8X2tyYmc
— OTV (@otvnews) May 20, 2020
A storm surge – as high as five metres above the astronomical tide – will inundate low-lying areas in West Bengal, reports NDTV. “Storm surge” refers to rising levels of sea due to the storm, which creates a wall of water several metres higher than the normal tide.
Huge storm surge witnessed in Digha (West Bengal) ahead of the landfall of #CycloneAmphan between its coast & Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) later today.
OTV’s @dasrasmi_z reports live from the seaside resort town#AmphanUpdates pic.twitter.com/lOXPRCvaFv
— OTV (@otvnews) May 20, 2020
In Bengal and Odisha, nearly five lakh people have been evacuated to safety. In Bangladesh, more than 20 million people have been moved out of areas to be worst-hit by the storm.
VIDEO: Authorities have scrambled to stage mass evacuations away from the path of “super cyclone” Amphan.
But their efforts have been hampered by the need to follow strict precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus https://t.co/B262tYFbjy pic.twitter.com/W0xOhN1t55
— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 19, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has only added to the challenge, as it’s difficult to follow social distancing norms amid rescue operations. However, extra shelters were being prepared in wholesale markets and government buildings with allowances made for social distancing, while masks and scarves were being distributed among the villagers.
“We have told Bengal and Odisha, social distancing has to be maintained strictly in cyclone shelters. If a shelter has space for 1,000, then only 500 should be allowed,” NDRF chief SN Pradhan said in an interview.
Visuals from inside the #Cyclone shelters of #Odisha.
In view of the ongoing #COVID__19 #pandemic, people are being asked to use hand sanitizers and also wear masks during their stay. #CycloneAmphan #CycloneAmphanUpdate #CycloneAlert #CyclonicStormAMPHAN pic.twitter.com/x36Da0FgHW
— Tazeen Qureshy (@TazeenQureshy) May 19, 2020
The Eastern Naval Command is in high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance. Naval ships at Vizag are on standby to proceed to affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief, evacuation, and logistic support including providing medical aid. These ships are ready with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, and relief material including food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets in sufficient quantities, the Indian Navy stated. The Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft are also kept on standby for deployment to undertake area scan, search, rescue and relief efforts.
Eastern Naval Command in high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance. Naval ships at Vizag on standby to proceed to affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief, evacuation, & logistic support including providing medical aid: Indian Navy pic.twitter.com/cXYSpTYwtB
— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020
Prime Minister Modi chaired a high-level meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs and NDMA officials to review the Cyclone Amphan. “I pray for everyone’s safety and assure all possible support from the Central Government,” he said.
“Reviewed the preparedness regarding the situation due to cyclone ‘Amphan.’ The response measures as well as evacuation plans were discussed. I pray for everyone’s safety and assure all possible support from the Central Government.” – PM Shri Narendra Modi.#CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/lHigxQJzLu
— Mann Ki Baat Updates (@mannkibaat) May 18, 2020
Let’s hope the first bit of positive news we are awaiting from this dreaded year comes in the form of our success in dealing with Cyclone Amphan.
Comments