Stay tuned with the latest updates on Cyclone Amphan here:

IMD says cyclone Amphan is very intense; has potential to wreak large-scale damage

Cyclone Amphan is a very intense storm which can wreak large-scale damage, India Meteorological Department Director General M Mohapatra said on Monday. Amphan has intensified into a super cyclonic storm and is expected to make a landfall on May 20 between the Digha islands in West Bengal and Hatia islands of Bangladesh, Mohapatra said at a press briefing. It is likely to de-intensify to an extremely severe cyclonic storm when it makes a landfall. He added that the coastal districts of West Bengal will receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall on May 19 and 20. These include East Midnapur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata in West Bengal. The storm is also likely to impact the coastal districts of north Odisha, including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore.

One more Crisis during unprecedented Crisis. God bless all #CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/kZDKRKVxpM

— Achyuta Samanta (@achyuta_samanta) May 16, 2020

Cyclone Amphan: Railways decides to suspend special trains on Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur route

The East Coast Railway on Monday decided to suspend running of all special trains on the Bhubaneswar-Kharagpur route in view of the approaching cyclone 'Amphan'. The railway line will be out of bounds for trains till further orders, the ECoR said. In view of the cyclone forecast, the railway zone has decided to divert the Bhubaneswar-New Delhi-Bhubaneswar AC Special Train via Angul-Jharsuguda-Rourkela-Tata route bypassing the Bhubaneswar-Hijli (Kharagpur) route for four days. The cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal and cross the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Shramik special trains have been suspended and will not be allowed to run on the Bhadrak-Kharagpur route, the ECoR said. Parcel and freight trains may be diverted via the Sambalpur-Jharsuguda route, it added.

Supercyclone Amphan may cause extensive damage at Bengal coast during landfall, says government

Cyclone "Amphan" has developed into a super cyclone in the Bay of Bengal on Monday and has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of West Bengal when it makes landfall on Wednesday, the government said. The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the West Bengal coast in the afternoon of May 20 as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging up to 195 kmph. The cyclone has the potential to cause extensive damage in the coastal districts of West Bengal, an official statement said. "Amphan" will cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal, it added. The districts of East Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata in are likely to be worst affected due to "Amphan". The storm is also likely to impact the coastal districts of north Odisha, including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore.

Cyclone Amphan turns into supercyclone, to cross WB, Bangladesh coasts on May 20

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across northeast Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said. 'Amphan'(pronounced UM-PUN) had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm and gathered more strength over Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast, PTI reported. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. It lay centred around 780 km south of Paradip in Odisha, 930 km south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal and 1,050 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh, said H R Biswas, director of the meteorological centre in Bhubaneswar. It is likely to move north-northeastwards and across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between the sea resort of Digha (in West Bengal) and Hatia island (in Bangladesh) as very severe cyclonic storm, the department said.

Amphan turns Super Cyclone, Odisha initiates evacuation

Cyclone 'Amphan' intensified into a super cyclonic storm on Monday and is likely to move across the northeast Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island on May 20, the IMD said.

"Amphan" (pronounced UM-PN) that had turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm gathered more strength over the Bay of Bengal while moving slowly towards the coast. It has now intensified further into a super cyclonic storm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

It is likely to move north-northeastwards and fast across the northwest Bay of Bengal, and cross the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and the Hatia island as a very severe cyclonic storm, the department said.

Odisha&West Bengal will be most affected due to super cyclonic storm 'AMPHAN'. 13&17teams deployed in Odisha&WB respectively. In a review meeting by the PM, it was decided that some NDRF teams should be ready for airlifting in case of an eventuality: SN Pradhan, DG NDRF pic.twitter.com/Zrh6K3QfBx

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2020

This has raised the likelihood of heavy rains and high-velocity winds in coastal Odisha and the state government has initiated the process of evacuating people from the vulnerable areas. Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till May 21, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena said.

PM Modi to hold a review meeting with MHA, NDMA on cyclone issue at 4 pm

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair a high-level meeting with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Monday to review the situation due to a cyclonic threat in parts of coastal India.

Modi will chair the meeting at 4 pm, Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted.

The meeting will be held at the Prime Minister's residence here in which Shah, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, and NDMA officials will be present.

The Prime Minister called the meeting a few hours after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a cyclone alert for West Bengal and north Odisha coasts as an extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Amphan' was looming over central parts of south and central Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Amphan to turn into Super Cylone, says MHA

Cyclonic storm 'Amphan' is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185 km per hour on Wednesday, the Home Ministry said.

In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the ministry said 'Amphan' (pronounced as UM-PUN) is now spotted over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal.

It has been moving nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST on Monday, the ministry said.

The cyclone is currently over west-central and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal (near latitude 13.2’N and longitude 86.3’E) about 790 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 940 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1,060 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), a home ministry official said, quoting an India Meteorological Department bulletin.

The storm is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm by Monday evening, the official said.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) during the afternoon or evening of May 20 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 155-165 kmph gusting upto 185 kmph, the official said.

The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) on Saturday reviewed the preparedness for the impending cyclone and directed immediate assistance to West Bengal and Odisha, which are likely to hit by the storm.

A meeting of the NCMC, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, was held to take stock the preparations for the cyclone.

The cabinet secretary took stock of the current situation and preparedness for rescue and relief operations and directed that immediate assistance, as required, be provided, an official statement had said.

Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by high-speed winds and tidal waves are expected in the region.

Cyclone 'Amphan': NDRF deploys 17 teams in Odisha, West Bengal

Seventeen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in Odisha and West Bengal in view of the approaching cyclone 'Amphan', the chief of the force said on Sunday.

NDRF Director General S N Pradhan said in a video message that the federal contingency force is "watching the situation closely from the headquarters and we are in touch with state governments, the Indian Meteorological Department and all stakeholder agencies".

In Odisha (7 districts) & West Bengal (6 districts), a total of 37 NDRF teams have been deployed, of which 20 teams will be actively deployed by the end of this day and 17 teams are on standby: SN Pradhan, Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).#CycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/uCVFu2777a

— ANI (@ANI) May 18, 2020

Pradhan said seven teams of the force have been deployed in West Bengal. These teams are in six districts -- South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly.

In Odisha, 10 teams have been deployed in seven districts — Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj.

One team of NDRF consists of around 45 personnel.

These teams are already been deployed and the personnel is either conducting awareness drives or implementing preparatory measures.

-with inputs from agencies

First Published:May 18, 2020 2:03 PM IST