Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ on Saturday.
According to an evening bulletin by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the deep depression which had remained practically stationary during last six hours, rapidly intensified into the cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ (pronounced as um-pun) and lay centred over the same region, about 1040 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 1200 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1300 km south-south-west of Khepupara (Bangladesh).
It is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and then into a very severe cyclonic storm by the midnight of May 18. It is very likely to move north-north-westwards initially till May 17 and then re-curve north-north-eastwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining Odisha coasts between May 18 and 20.
