‘Cyclone Amphan’ to Intensify into Extremely Severe Storm: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday warned that a very severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' is going to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm in the next 6 hours over central parts of South Bay of Bengal.

The IMD in a tweet said, "Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) 'AMPHAN' over central parts of South Bay of Bengal near latitude 12.5°N and longitude 86.4°E, about 870 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha). To intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) in the next six hours."

The tweet also said, "To cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya island in the afternoon/evening of May 20 as VSCS."

The IMD issued a dangerous thunderstorm and lightning alert for Jhumpura, Keonjhar, Patna, Saharpada, and Champua block of Keonjhar district; Sukruli, Raruan and Karajia blocks of Mayurbhanj district, by Special Relief Organisation of the Odisha government.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent its 10 teams to Odisha and seven teams to West Bengal in view of the approaching Cyclone Amphan.

While the NDRF teams have been deployed in West Bengal's South 24 Pragnas, North 24 Pragnas, East and West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly, they have been sent to Odisha's Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak, and Mayurbhanj.

TheNDRF is monitoring the situation and working with states and their disastermanagement teams, and the IMD.