Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Amphan, believed to be one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal, will hit Bengal this afternoon. As many as 1,19,075 people have been evacuated from 13 vulnerable districts of Odisha.
On Wednesday,several trees were uprooted in Odisha’s Bhadrak after strong winds gushed and rainfall lashed the district as cyclone Amphan advanced towards the Indian coast. The fire service team cleared the roads.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is expected to make landfall today between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia island in Bangladesh.
“Cyclone Amphan lies 110 kilometres south-east from Paradip and is moving at an average speed of 18-19 kilometre per hour. Landfall expected near Sunderbans in West Bengal by late evening today. Next 6-8 hours are going to be crucial,” said Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena.
Amphan is only the second “super cyclone” to form in the northeastern Indian Ocean since records began. Indian Navy is on “high alert” on the east coast for relief efforts, an official statement said.
Indian Coast Guard ships and aircraft are kept at stand by for deployment to undertake area scan, search & rescue and relief efforts.
