Cyclone storm Amphan over central parts of South Bay of Bengal intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
A cyclone alert for West Bengal and north Odisha coasts has been issued by the IMD.
“The extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘AMPHAN’ (pronounced as UM-PUN) over central parts of South Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours, intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm,” the IMD said.
“Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) ‘AMPHAN’ over central parts of South Bay of Bengal (BoB) near latitude12.5°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 next 6 hours. To cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya island in Afternoon/Evening of 20th May as VSCS,” the IMD earlier tweeted.
In view of the approaching Cyclone ‘AMPHAN’, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent teams to Odisha and West Bengal.
