Amphan Cyclone to Cross Hatia and Diga Today

Cyclone Amphan, which was formed as a low pressure in the South of Andaman in Bay of Bengal is likely to be one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years and will hit Bengal this afternoon.

Amphan weakened from a super cyclone to an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Tuesday. It caused strong winds and heavy rain in parts of Odisha and Bengal as it advanced towards the Indian coast.

More than three lakh people have been evacuated in Bengal and about one lakh in Odisha on Tuesday. Officials anticipate a massive destruction when the cyclone strikes the coast.

Amphan is expected to hit the coast with winds gusting up to 185 kilometres per hour when it crosses West Bengal’s Digha and Bangladesh’s Hatiya.

After 1999 Super Cylcone that hit Odisha, Amphan is only the second “super cyclone” to form as per records. Indian Navy is on “high alert” on the east coast for relief efforts, an official statement said.

Seven districts of Bengal are likely to face the direct impact of the cyclone as it makes a landfall.