Cyclone Amphan LIVE Updates:Centre pledges Rs 500Cr advance for Odisha, PM meets officials

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning to suspend all fishing activity in West Bengal and Odisha till May 20, in the wake of super cyclone Amphan.

Extensive damage to all types of kutcha houses, some damage to old badly managed Pucca structures is expected due to cyclone Amphan in the areas affected by it, IMD has warned

Awareness campaign underway by NDRF at Bhograi Block in Odisha's Balasore district, in the wake of cyclone Amphan.

Super Cyclone AMPHAN is likely to make landfall between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans with maximum sustained wind 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph during the afternoon to the evening of tomorrow,  May 20, according to IMD.

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba chaired the third meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to review the preparedness of states and central ministries/agencies to deal with the cyclonic Storm 'Amphan'. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that the Super Cyclone is expected to impact the West Bengal coast by the afternoon/evening of May 20.

Rain lashed some parts of Odisha today as super cyclone 'Amphan' moved closer to the coasts, while the state government stepped up efforts to evacuate low-lying and vulnerable areas, officials said. In the morning, 'Amphan' lay centred over west-central Bay of Bengal, about 520 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 670 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 800 km south-southwest of Khepupara in Bangladesh, said H R Biswas, the director of Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar.

The Super Cyclonic Storm ‘Amphan’ (pronounced as UM-PUN) over Westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 1130 hours IST of May 19 as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm near latitude 16.5°N and longitude 86.9°E over Westcentral Bay of Bengal about 420 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 570 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 700 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), according to IMD.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has moved its three floating border posts or ships and 45 other patrol boats deployed to guard the India-Bangladesh riverine front in the Sunderbans and Icchamati river in West Bengal to safe anchorage in view of the cyclonic storm 'Amphan', officials said. These vessels are used by the south Bengal frontier of the border force to guard about 350 kms of the riverine border in this area.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee informed that around three lakh people so far have been evacuated and moved to relief camps. She said Cyclone Amphan will have deep strength and there are apprehensions it could be more devastating than previous cyclones like Aila and Bulbul. The cyclone will hit the coasts of Bengal at around 2 pm on Wednesday and will continue till midnight. The CM warned people not to venture outdoors the entire day tomorrow and requested them to stay indoors till Thursday morning.

West Bengal control room numbers for help on Amphan:
1070
033-2214-3526
033-2214-1995
60 phones have been made available on these numbers to help the citizens.

South 24 Parganas district will be the worst hit and adjacent districts of the East will also suffer.
The evacuation details are as follows:
South 24 Pgs: About 2 lakhs
North 24 Pgs: About 50,000
East Midnapore: About 40,000
West Midnapore: About 10,000

15 NDRF teams have been deployed in Odisha who are carrying out awareness drives, communication drives, and evacuation in view of Cyclone Amphan. 19 teams have been deployed in West Bengal and 2 teams are in standby there. We are facing a dual challenge right now - Covid-19 and Cyclone Amphan, says NDRF Chief SN Pradhan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a review meeting with senior officials and ministers of Odisha in Bhubaneswar after his aerial survey of the areas affected due to the cyclone. CM Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi are also present.

Govt of India announces Rs 500 Crore for Odisha, as a measure in advance. Govt will further help Odisha govt and make rest of the arrangements to come out of this crisis, after the complete survey and the formation of a rehabilitation plan: PM Narendra Modi

We've kept an additional backup. 6 NDRF Battalions — 11, 9, 1, 10, 4, 5 have been identified for it. 11 battalion is in Varanasi, 9 in Patna, 1 in Guwahati, 10 in Vijaywada, 4 in Arakkonam&5 battalion in Pune. They have military airports&troops can be brought on short notice. Every Battalion has 4 teams, so there are 24 teams on standby: NDRF Chief SN Pradhan

This is the most intense cyclone - the second super cyclone - which has been formed in the Bay of Bengal after 1999. Its wind speed in the sea right now is 200-240 kmph. It is moving towards north-northwestward direction: IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra

NDRF has released a list of teams deployed in West Bengal and Odisha to deal with Amphan.

Thunderstorms with lightning accompanied by gusty wind 30-40 Kmph and moderate rainfall likely affect some parts of East Midnapore and Sundarban area of South 24 Pargana districts of West Bengal during the next 2-3 hours: Area Cyclone Warning Centers (ACWC), Kolkata.

Super Cyclonic Storm AMPHAN over westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 17 kmph during past 6 hours & lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of 19th May 2020 as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm over Westcentral Bay of Bengal: India Meteorological Department

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) close to Sundarbans during afternoon to evening hours of 20th May 2020: IMD

Telecom Secy Anshu Prakash briefed the media on the Ministry's steps in the wake of Cyclon Amphan.

"Telecom service providers have been asked to arrange sufficient number of generator sets with enough diesel and station them in all districts so that if there is any power disruption, then the towers can be restarted with the help of these gen-sets"

"SMS alerts are being generated to people in affected dists, for evacuation. It is upto state govts that in what frequency they want to send alerts. It's free of cost. It'll be in local languages.Intra-circle roaming will continue after cyclone crosses."

On directions of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, four senior officers, with vast experience in handling such calamities, have been deputed to different districts in the state to supervise preparations and guide local administration, says State Chief Secretary.

Rains and strong winds lashed West Bengal's coastal resort town of Digha before super cyclone Amphan hits tomorrow.

Showers in Kolkata before super cyclone Amphan hits the State tomorrow.

IMD releases damage potential in districts likely to be hit with super cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha.

As Cyclone Amphan is approaching, the Odisha government has started the process to broadcast an SMS-based alert system and play tower siren to evacuate people in the districts, which are expected to suffer the most due to the cyclone, said state special relief commissioner (SRC), Pradeep Jena.

Odisha:12 coastal districts have been put on alert. All the departments are working in close coordination to complete the evacuation process by tonight. The state government has advised the people to carry important documents while shifting to the cyclone shelters.

Preparation ahead of the super cyclone.

Government issues Do's & Don'ts for people in West Bengal and Odisha.

Indian Navy conducts evacuations of people at Digha in West Bengal's East Midnapore district. The team was flown in from Vishakapatnam by a Navy Dornier and reached Kolkata at 12 noon.

Indian Red Cross volunteers engaged in mobilizing people to 65 cyclone shelters and early warning dissemination. Local units are reported to have been cooperating with local authorities in evacuation and supply of relief material work.

The Assam government has issued a "high alert" over cyclone 'Amphan' and directed the state disaster management authority to set up a control room to deal with the situation. State Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna said there is a strong likelihood of widespread effect of the cyclone in Assam, especially in west Assam districts. He also directed officials concerned to keep the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on standby for their services whenever necessary.

Indian Coast Gaurd issues alert for merchant and foreign vessels and fishing boats to stay onshore.

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee takes stock of the situation from the 24-hour cyclone control room in Kolkata. She is accompanied by State Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha and other senior officials.

Clouded sky over Bengal's Sodepur, Kolkata and Howrah.

Union Power Ministry says that for damages, if any, to State Transmission Lines and other power infrastructure, all necessary support will be extended to power utilities. National Load Despatch Centre and Eastern Regional Load Despatch centre have been nominated as the main control centres.

West Bengal: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel make announcements for people in Digha of East Midnapore district, as a part of their awareness drive, ahead of the landfall of Amphan.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla spoke to MPs of affected areas regarding Cyclone Amphan in the Bay of Bengal. Birla impressed upon them to monitor relief and rescue measures so that they reach those affected on time.

Haldia Petrochemicals' plant and Indian Oil's refinery in East Midnapore district have been put on high alert in the wake of cyclone Amphan, which is expected to hit West Bengal coast on Wednesday.

Several measures have been taken by the Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (HPL) management in view of the cyclone, said its plant head Ashok Ghosh. "We have decided not to take any power from the grid but will remain connected to it," he told PTI.

HPL will run additional compressors and cooling water units to support the process plants, Ghosh said, adding that all the drains within the premises of the factory have been cleaned.

A spokesperson of the Indian Oil Corp said that a control room has been set up to monitor the situation round the clock and a special task force has also been formed in coordination with the district authorities. The IOC is also coordinating with the port authorities for proper mooring of vessels meant for the refinery, he said.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma chaired a meeting on Tuesday to review the state's preparedness in view of Cyclone Amphan. Block development offices across the state have been alerted to ensure that help reaches on time in case of any emergency situation, officials said.

"In view of the IMD weather forecast and likelihood of extremely severe cyclonic storm Amphan, the district emergency operations centres (DEOC) have been fully activated to receive information on any related matter," a senior home department official told PTI.

In the state capital, district administrator Matsiewdor W Nongbri has assigned 29 officers for a quick and effective response to the cyclone. The state has also launched helplines -- 0364-2502094 and 0364-2225289.

As the cyclone, Amphan is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, rainfall and strong winds hit Bhadrak in Odisha. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) cyclone Amphan will cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the afternoon to evening hours of May 20.

As many as 1,19,075 people have been evacuated from 13 vulnerable districts of Odisha as Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall on Wednesday between Digha in West Bengal and Hatia Island in Bangladesh, news agency ANI reported.

Six Indian Coast Guard ships and one aircraft have been deployed for area scan, SAR and relief operations. One ship with an embarked helicopter and two ships have been kept on standby, said a statement from ICG

All operations at Kolkata Airport have been suspended till 5 am on Thursday in view of Cyclone Amphan including special flights, which were operational in view of COVID-19 pandemic, news agency ANI quoted Airport Director of West Bengal as saying.

The Eastern Naval Command(ENC) is in a high degree of readiness to render necessary humanitarian assistance. Indian Naval ships at Visakhapatnam are standing-by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support including providing medical aid.

These ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material that include food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets etc, in sufficient quantities. Additionally, twenty Rescue Teams with Gemini Boats and medical teams are also kept ready for augmenting rescue and relief efforts in Odisha and West Bengal.  

Naval aircraft are also standing by at the Naval Air Stations INS Dega at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamilnadu to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, and casualty evacuation if required. ENC is monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal closely and Naval Officers-in-Charge (West Bengal) and (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective State Administrations to augment rescue and relief operations as needed.

Bangladesh has reported its first death from Cyclone Amphan, news agency AFP reports.

Landfall process commenced since 2:30 PM. It will continue for about 4 hours. The forward sector of the wall cloud region is entering into land in West Bengal. 3-4 hours for the process of landfall. 140-150km/hr wind speed in the South 24 Parganas district. In Alipore in Kolkata wind speed is 65 km/hr: IMD Kolkata

Seven ships have been deployed along the eastern seaboard for initial assessment and search and rescue and relief operations. 20 Disaster Relief Teams standby for mobilisation. More than 300 fishing boats escorted to safety: Indian Coast Guard

Rains in Ranaghat area of West Bengal's Nadia district.

Kolkata Traffic Police decides to close all flyovers until further notice in the wake of Cyclone Amphan. The wind speed in Kolkata will be around 100-120km as the cyclone will curve North NorthEast wards and pass close to Kolkata.

Cyclone Amphan about 65 km east-southeast of Digha (West Bengal) at 1430 IST: IMD

Pradeep Kumar Jena, IAS Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha:

"Cyclone Amphan has moved down its originally forecasted path. It has already crossed Paradip, Kendrapara, Dhamra, and right now it is at sea adjoining Balasore. Maybe in another 3 hours, it will make landfall. There is info about 1 casualty in Bhadrak. Medical&admin team proceeded to village to inquest, after which exact cause of death can be decided by Collector. Another death occurred yesterday. It is not cyclone related death as of now."

IMD DG expects wind speed of 110-120 km/hr in Kolkata

"Strong winds have commenced in coastal West Bengal; We are getting reports that wind speed could be around 160 kmph. Expect maximum wind speed in North and South Parganas and East Midnapore area of West Bengal - 155/165 to 185 km/hr. Expect it to reach Kolkata in the evening with a wind speed of 110-120 km/hr."

NDRF presents deployment of NDRF teams in 6 districts of West Bengal, more teams in districts where there is more pressure.

NDRF presents the deployment of 20 teams in Odisha, proportional to expected impact, in a way defining the path of the cyclone.

24 additional alert teams on hot stand-by, for airlift, have been kept ready, they can be deployed not just during, but even after, the cyclone, they can get ready in 15 minutes and be airlifted

Cyclone Amphan has weakened into a very severe cyclonic storm, which in terms of wind speed means a difference of about 20 kmph. By late night it will weaken into a severe cyclonic storm. The cyclone is likely to weaken and move through Nadia and Murshidabad districts as a cyclonic storm and then into Bangladesh as a deep depression on Thursday morning: IMD

News agency ANI reports power supply has been cut off in North and South 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal as per chief minister Mamata Banerjee's orders in view of Cyclone Amphan landfall.

All 20 units of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) stationed in Odisha have been deployed in the state, while as many units have been pressed into service in West Bengal for relief and rescue efforts in the wake of Cyclone Amphan: NDRF director general SN Pradhan (PTI)

The death toll in West Bengal rises to three as cyclone Amphan leaves a trail of destruction across the state: Reports

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel clear electricity wires and uprooted trees off the road between Digha in East Midnapore district and Odisha border, after #CycloneAmphan made landfall earlier today.

After Cyclone Amphan landfall between 3.30 pm and 5.30 pm on Wednesday, many streets in Kolkata were waterlogged due to the heavy rain. Moreover, several trees were uprooted and houses were damaged. Power cuts have been reported in some parts of the city.

According to Sub-Divisional Officer Basirhat Bibek Vasme, two persons have died and two others have been severely injured in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. Moreover, 5,500 houses were damaged in the region. 

Addressing the people, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee revealed that the North 24 Paraganas, South 24 Parganas district and Kolkata had been completely damaged. She noted that communication had been snapped in most places and 10-12 persons had died. She observed that the loss in the state was worth hundreds of crores of rupees. According to her, it would take at least 3-4 days to assess the full extent of the damage. Asserting that this was a bigger disaster than COVID-19, she urged the Centre to extend assistance. 

IMD Bhubaneswar Director HR Biswas stated that Cyclone Amphan had crossed as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 185 km per hour. He revealed that the cyclone is currently located 70 km south of Kolkata, 35 km northeast of Sagar island, and 95 km east-northeast of Digha. He added that the cyclone shall move north-northeasterly, gradually weaken and then become a depression on May 21.

The West Bengal Chief Secretary mentioned that contrary to estimations, the cyclone hit Sagar and Gosaba islands in the South 24 Parganas district. He remarked that the cyclone is now over the North 24 Parganas district after hitting Kolkata and Howrah. Meanwhile, Nadia, Purulia, Bankura districts too witnessed heavy rainfall. 

IMD DG expects wind speed of 110-120 km/hr in Kolkata

"Strong winds have commenced in coastal West Bengal; We are getting reports that wind speed could be around 160 kmph. Expect maximum wind speed in North and South Parganas and East Midnapore area of West Bengal - 155/165 to 185 km/hr. Expect it to reach Kolkata in the evening with a wind speed of 110-120 km/hr."

IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra says actual track of the cyclone is the same that they had anticipated. This has helped ground-level staff to plan and prepare better, he said.

"Amphan will reach near Kolkata by Wednesday evening. Bhadrak and Balasore (in Odisha) will continue to have a damaging impact for 2-3 more hours. After this Odisha will not have any damaging impact. Cyclone is crossing West Bengal - Bangladesh coast, between Digha and Hatia. This will then move towards north-northeast direction".

IMD chief says:

"Heavy downpour already reported in Bengal as the front section of the storm's eye has made landfall. Extensive damage will be seen when the rear sector of the eye of the storm makes landfall. Assam and Meghalaya will also see heavy to very heavy rains from tonight. Odisha will not see much rainfall from tomorrow. Amphan will reach Bangladesh as a cyclonic storm and Assam as a deep depression"

Visuals from Digha.

Sunderban:

Amphan crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) across Sunderbans near lat 21.65N and longitude 88.3E between 1530 and 1730 hrs IST of 20th May with a wind speed of 155-165 gusting to 185 kmph: IMD

Reports say two women were killed in Bengal's Howrah district and Minakhan area of North 24 Parganas district due to uprooting of trees.

Visuals from Odisha:

Severe cyclonic storm Amphan over Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coast moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 30 km/ph during the past 6 hours, IMD said in a statement. It added that it is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further into a deep depression during the next 3 hours.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan on Thursday said that it is a "massive challenge" for NDRF to carry out restoration work in view of COVID-19.

"But our teams were semi-prepared for cyclone Amphan as they were preparing for the combination of COVID-19 and floods. Our personnel observe protocols of social distancing and sanitization," Pradhan said while speaking to ANI

Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Thursday reviewed the situation in the cyclone-affected areas of Odisha and West Bengal with the States and Central Ministries/Agencies concerned in the aftermath of cyclone Amphan, the Government of India said.

Addressing a press briefing, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee revealed that 72 individuals had died in the state due to Cyclone Amphan so far. She declared an ex-gratia of Rs.2.5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. Maintaining that she had not seen such a disaster like this before, she said that she would invite PM Modi to visit the cyclone-hit areas of the state. 

Air India CMD Rajiv Bansal clarified that 2 of the aircraft belonging to the national carrier at the Kolkata airport were not damaged. However, he conceded that there is some damage to the hangar. He added that a small private aircraft parked in the hangar had been damaged. 

Addressing a press conference, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) chief SN Pradhan and India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrityunjay Mohapatra talked about the current Cyclone Amphan situation. Mentioning that the cyclone-affected areas in Odisha could return to normal life in 24-48 hours, the NDRF chief added that 4 additional teams were being airlifted to Kolkata, which shall be at the disposal of the West Bengal government. He conceded that the damage in West Bengal was more than expected and announced that a team of the Ministry of Home Affairs would visit the state to evaluate the damage. He warned that the number of injured and dead in West Bengal could increase. Meanwhile, the IMD chief predicted very to very heavy rainfall in the western part of Assam and Meghalaya. According to him, there can be rain at isolated places in Arunachal Pradesh. 

In a big development, flight operations have resumed at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata at noon. This comes a day after Cyclone Amphan battered Kolkata at a wind speed of 130 km per hour, leaving parts of the tarmac, runways, and hangar at the airport flooded. A Russian chartered plane for evacuating stranded Russian nationals was the first flight to land at the airport at 2.31 pm.

On the other hand, a SpiceJet cargo flight for Delhi was the first departure from the airport. In a statement, the Airport authorities stressed that effective planning had reduced the impact of Cyclone Amphan. It added that their teams were working round the clock to ensure uninterrupted services.

The Prime Minister's Office announced that PM Narendra Modi shall travel to West Bengal and Odisha on May 22 to review the situation arising out of Cyclone Amphan. He will conduct aerial surveys of the cyclone-affected areas and take part in meetings where relief and rehabilitation aspects shall be discussed. 

As per the Kolkata Police, 19 persons have died in the city so far owing to the novel coronavirus. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "He (PM Modi) announced Rs 1,000 Crore for the emergency fund but he didn't clarify whether it'll be advance or a package. He said he'll decide later on but he said it may be advance also. I said whatever you will give you decide, we'll give you details."

"We've to help people so we've started relief work. I told PM that we'll get Rs 53,000 Cr from central govt regarding food subsidy, social schemes & central schemes wherever our money is there. So I said you try to give some money to us so that we can work in this crisis."

"At this hr of crisis, we feel that we must work together. There are so many areas where they can help us, state govt also exists in this country¢ral govt also exists. If there is a crisis everybody must work together."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Bhubaneshwar airport to review the situation due to Cyclone Amphan in the state. He is received there by Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and Governor Ganeshi Lal. The PM will be conducting an aerial survey of the areas affected by Amphan.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the phone to enquire about the damages caused by extremely severe Cyclone Amphan: Bangladesh media (reports ANI)