Amphan to intensify into Very Severe Cyclonic Storm

Bhubaneswar: The deep depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood has intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’. It is likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by 18th morning.

The deep depression over Southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood remained practically stationary during past 06 hours and rapidly intensified into a cyclonic storm, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest bulletin on Saturday.

“It lay centred over the same region at 1730 hrs IST of today, the 16th May, about 1040 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 1200 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1300 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh),” said the bulletin.

It is very likely to intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by 18th morning.

It is very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till 17th May and then re-curve north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coasts during 18th to 20th May 2020.

The IMD said coastal Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places from May 18 evening, heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places on May 19 and isolated heavy rainfall over northeast Odisha on May 20.