Amphan Intensifies Into Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm, To Unleash Fury In Odisha; Expected Damage

Bhubaneswar: The very severe cyclonic storm AMPHAN over central parts of south Bay of Bengal, which has intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm, is likely to leave a trail of destruction in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts.

According to the India Meteorological Department, it will cause extensive damage to thatched house and some damage to pucca houses.

The forecast said that squally wind speed reaching 45 to 55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely to commence along and off south Odisha coast from May 18 evening, extend to along and off north Odisha coast from May 19 morning and along and off West Bengal coast from May 19 afternoon. The wind speed will gradually increase becoming gale wind speed reaching 75 to 85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph from May 20 morning along and off north Odisha (Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts) and West Bengal (east and west Medinipur, south and north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata Districts). It will gradually increase to 110 to 120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph along and off the above mentioned districts of north Odisha and 120 to 140 kmph gusting to 155 kmph along & off the above districts of West Bengal from the afternoon of May 20.

This can lead to bending/uprooting of power and communication poles, minor disruption of railways, overhead power lines and signalling systems and widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, falling of green coconuts and tearing of palm fronds., the IMD said, adding that small boats, country crafts may get detached from mooring.

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph is also likely to prevail over Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur districts during May 20.

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THE STORM

The IMD said that the very severe cyclonic storm moved North-Northeastwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past six hours and lay centred at 2.30 hours on Monday over central parts of south and adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

“It is at a distance of 820km from Paradip, 980km from Digha and 1090km from Khepupara (Bangladesh). It is likely to intensify further into ‘extremely severe’ during the next 6. hours and very likely to move north-NW of Digha (WB) and cross between Digha-Hatia on May 20,” it added.

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RAIN FORECAST

Light to moderate rainfall is likely at many places in coastal Odisha from May 18 evening with heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Odisha (Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts) on May 18. Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over north coastal Odisha (Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts) on May 19 and isolated heavy rainfall over north Odisha (Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts) on May 20.

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