Bhubaneswar: Very Severe Cyclonic Storm AMPHAN over central parts of south Bay of Bengal intensified into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm today, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and move fast across northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon/evening of 20th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, the IMD forecasted.

Here are the damages expected in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha due to the cyclone as per a bulletin of the IMD.

  • Total destruction of thatched houses/ extensive damage to kutcha houses. Some damage to pucca houses. Potential threat from flying objects.
  • Bending/ uprooting of power and communication poles.
  • Major damage to Kutcha and Pucca roads. Minor disruption of railways, overhead power lines and signalling systems.
  • Widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, falling of green coconuts and tearing of palm fronds. Blowing down of bushy trees like mango.
  • Small boats, country crafts may get detached from moorings.

Wind warning:

Squally wind speed reaching 45 to 55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph is likely to commence along and off south Odisha coast from May 18th evening, extend to along & off north Odisha coast from May 19th morning and along and off West Bengal coast from May 19th afternoon.

The wind speed will gradually increase becoming gale wind speed reaching 75 to 85 kmph gusting to 95 kmph from May 20th morning along and off north Odisha (Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts) and West Bengal (east & west Medinipur, south & north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata Districts). It will gradually increase thereafter becoming 110 to 120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph along & 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 20th May.

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph likely to prevail over Puri, Khordha, Cuttack, Jajpur districts of Odisha during 20th May.

Heavy rainfall Warning:

Coastal Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places from 18th May evening with heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Odisha (Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts) on 18 th May. 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 19th May and isolated heavy rainfall over north Odisha (Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts) on 20th May.