Cyclone Amphan batters Bengal, winds over 120 kmph in Kolkata
More than 5 lakh people have been evacuated from nearby coastal areas in the state and another 1,58,640 people have been removed to safer areas in neighbouring Odisha, with both states being hit by the severe cyclonic storm.Extremely severe cyclone Amphan, packing winds of up to 190 kmph, made landfall between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, leaving a trail of destruction in coastal Odisha and parts of Bengal. Two women were killed in Howrah district and Minakhan area of South 24 Parganas district in Bengal due to uprooting of trees. Heavy rains lashed Odisha and Bengal, with winds gusting up to 185 kmph uprooting trees and electric poles. At least 6.58 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha before the cyclone struck. NDRF chief S N Pradhan said 20 teams had already begun road clearing operations in Odisha, while the 19 units deployed in West Bengal were shifting people to safety.
“The width of the wall cloud of the cyclone is around 120 kilometres and the diameter of the eye is about 40 kilometres. The rear side is also about 120 kilometres. West Bengal’s South and North 24 Parganas will witness a lull as the eye of the cyclone passes through, but heavy rains, strong winds will resume in the next 30 minutes, as the second arm of the cyclone hits the area,” Mohapatra cautioned.
More than 5 lakh people have been evacuated from nearby coastal areas in the state and another 1,58,640 people have been removed to safer areas in neighbouring Odisha, with both states being hit by the cyclonic storm.
The landfall process began near Sunderbans in West Bengal at 2.30 pm this afternoon with the entry of the front sector of the wall cloud region.