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Cyclone Amphan live updates: Strong winds, high waves seen in West Bengal`s Digha
Cyclonic storm Amphan over Westcentral and adjoining Eastcentral Bay of Bengal intensified to a super cyclone on Monday evening and moved nearly north-northeastwards with a speed of 14 kmph during past 6 hours.
Latest Updates
Ministry of Power: Adequate arrangements made to handle power supply situation in the wake of Cyclone Amphan Emergency Restoration Systems (32 at 400 kV and 24 at 765 kV) along with adequate manpower have already been placed at key locations.
Odisha: Indian Coast Guard, through Remote Operating Station in Paradeep, is issuing alerts over broadcast for merchant vessels, international vessels, and fishing boats, asking them to stay away from the sea.
West Bengal: Strong winds and high waves at West Bengal's Digha due to Cyclone Amphan.
JP Nadda: Super Cyclone Amphan is heading towards coastal region of Orissa, West Bengal, partially touching Tamil Nadu & Andhra Pradesh. Hon PM chaired a high level meeting yesterday. A clear directive given to BJP workers to cooperate in relief operations & evacuation process of people.
Odisha: Strong winds in Bhubaneswar due to cyclone Amphan.
West Bengal: Rain lashes several parts of Kolkata.
Telecommunications Secretary: Arrangements have been made to keep citizens in affected districts alerted regarding evacuation, through free SMS alerts in the local language, frequency and modality of messaging has been left to the states. After the passing of Amphan cyclone, intra-circle roaming will be operational, ie, subscribers will be able to latch on to the network of whichever telecom operator is available, if services of the operator whose services they are using get disrupted.
Telecommunications Secretary: Telecom cables, antennas and towers get damaged during a cyclone as strong as this, disaster preparedness plan has been operationalized, after discussion with all telecom operators of affected districts in both states.
Ministry of Power: Transmission lines and substations situated in high impact areas of Amphan have been identified and placed on high alert. A required restoration system has been put in place at identified locations. Required assistance will be given to state power utilities.
Ministry of Power: Emergency Restoration System has been set up to handle power disruptions, in both Odisha and West Bengal. 24/7 control room operational in Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar and Power Grid HQ.
DG IMD: Devastating wind speed is expected to cause large scale and extensive damage to structures, poles, thatched and asbestos houses, hoardings, trees. Speed unfavourable for trains and road travel.
DG, IMD: 4-5 metre storm surge expected from afternoon till night tomorrow, in south and north 24 Parganas 3-4 metre storm surge expected in East Medinipur District.
DG, IMD and NDRF briefing today on Super Cyclone Amphan along with Secretary, Dept of Telecom and AS, Power Ministry.
DG, IMD: We are dealing with a multi-hazard scenario, extensive damage expected, no one should be outside, people in low lying areas to be evacuated.
NDRF Chief: 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 and 5 battalions in Pune. They have military airports and troops can be brought on short notice.
Indian Navy dispatches a diving team to Kolkata. As the weather deteriorates view the forthcoming Supercyclone Amphan, a diving team from the Indian Navy arrives at Kolkata to provide assistance to the State Government in relief operations. The diving team was flown in from Vizag by an Indian Navy Dornier and has reached Kolkata at noon today. The team has brought specialized equipment along with them which can be used in case of rescue if flooding occurs and have been positioned at the Naval Service Selection Board at Diamond Harbour. An additional diving team has been kept standby at Chilka for quick repositioning if the situation demands.
Kolkata Port Trust has taken following preventive measures to prevent any damage to port property and merchant ships:
1. All the 19 vessels at Sandheads anchorage have picked up their anchor and proceeded down to deep-sea so as to avoid the path of the storm.
2. All cargo handling operation at Diamond Harbour and Sagar anchorage had been stopped and the vessels put out to sea.
3. All the barges have been told to move up to the sheltered water.
4. No ships have been kept at the oil jetties of Haldia and Baj Baj.
5. All movements of inward and outward vessels cancelled at Kolkata.
6. Movement of inbound and outbound vessels at HDC cancelled from PM today. In AM tide three ships sailed from Haldia and two ships were taken inside docks.
7. Pilot Vessel Ma Ganga and 4 Pilot Launches have been taken inside HDC as a precautionary measure.
8. All the vessels in the Docks have been instructed to secure with additional mooring ropes and lines. At present, there are 15 merchant vessels at KDS, 6 at KPD and 9 at NSD. 11 merchant vessels are at Haldia Docks.
9. All the port owned and hired utility crafts have been taken inside docks except for I tug and I launch at Kolkata will be at locks for exigency. Similarly at HDC tugs will be at locks for exigency.
10. Control Room has been set up at Subhas Bhavan, Sagar and at Jawahar Tower at Haldia for 24 hours monitoring.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to remain overnight at the control room set up at Nabanna - state secretariat. This is the time of the landfall of the cyclone Amphan.
She will remain there till tomorrow when the cyclone makes landfall
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: Amidst the Corona crisis, we are handling Cyclone Amphan. I’m hearing that the strength of the cyclone is massive. Some saying that it is severe than Aila, Bul Bul, and other cyclones reported in recent times. One must not step out until the cyclone subsides. Do not go even closer to the beach. All DMs, SPs, CPs have been instructed. We have evacuated people to shelter homes. They have been asked to maintain social distance.
Close to 3 lac people evacuated and shifted to Cyclone centres.
South 24 - 2 lac
North 24 - 50,000
East Midnapore - 40,000
West Midnapore - 10,00019 NDRF and 15 SDRF teams have been deployed.
Railways have been asked to stop the movement of trains in the next 24 hrs.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to brief on Cyclone Amphan preparedness in the state.
Ministry of Home Affairs on Cyclone Amphan: Chief Secretary, Odisha and Additional Chief Secretary, West Bengal apprised National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) of preparatory measures taken by them. They informed that the evacuation of people from the low lying areas is being carried out. (ANI input)
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’: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
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: IMD
Press briefing on Cyclone Amphan
West Bengal: Residents of Tajpur, East Medinipur create a temporary fence along the coast, in the wake of Amphan Cyclone.
IMD forecast: Super Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ (pronounced as UM-PUN) over Westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of 19th May, 2020 near latitude 16.0°N and longitude 86.8°E over Westcentral Bay of Bengal about 480 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 630 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 750 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh).
NDMA weather update on Cyclone Amphan
Centre on cyclone Amphan: Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik and reviewed the preparedness. Assured all possible help from Central Govt.
Home Minister Amit Shah speaks to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. Reviewed Cyclone Amphan situation and offered all requisite help.
IMD issues warning to suspend all fishing activity in Bengal and Odisha
Weather bulletin forecast of 8.15 am on Cyclone Amphan
NDMA weather update: Sea condition will be phenomenal over northern parts of central Bay Of Bengal & adjoining north Bay of Bengal. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas.
The super cyclone Amphan is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Sri Lanka braces for Cyclone Amphan, several areas to receive heavy showers: Sri Lanka's Department of Meterology on Tuesday (May 19) said that the Super Cyclonic storm Amphan over west-central Bay of Bengal and neighborhood, lay centered near Trincomalee at 11.30 p.m. on Monday (May 18). According to Sri Lanka's Department of Meterology the cyclone Amphan is expected to move north-northeastwards towards west Bengal coast during the afternoon of May 20 (Wednesday). Read here
Skymet weather forecast cyclone: Cyclone Amphan is around 790 km SSE of Kolkata and moving in NNE direction.
Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba road accident: Three migrant labourers were killed and over 12 got injured after the vehicle in which they were travelling overturned on a highway in Uttar Pradesh’s Mahoba district on Monday (May 18) night. (Read here)
IMD forecast on Cyclone Amphan: It's very likely to weaken into an extremely severe cyclonic storm during next 6 hrs. It's very likely to move north northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal&cross W Bengal–Bangladesh coasts b/w Digha&Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans during afternoon/evening of 20 May.
Super cyclone Amphan is still intensifying, and the wind speed is all set to breach the mark of 275kmph, rarely achieved in the past, reports Skymet.
Odisha: Residents from coastal areas of Jagatsinghpur were shifted to a cyclone shelter last night, to protect them from heavy rains and winds to be caused by super cyclonic storm ‘AMPHAN'
Super Cyclone Amphan is very likely to move north-northeastwards across the northwest Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the May 20 afternoon/evening as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 165-175 kmph gusting to 195 kmph.
Cyclonic storm Amphan over Westcentral and adjoining Eastcentral Bay of Bengal intensified to a super cyclone on Monday evening and moved nearly north-northeastwards with a speed of 14 kmph during past 6 hours.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said super cyclone Amphan is expected to have the biggest impact in South and North 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal.
The super cyclone ‘AMPHAN’ is now being continuously tracked by the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
The Indian government Monday said the cyclone had the potential to cause extensive damage like Cyclone Fani, which hit India at this time last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the situation arising out of cyclone 'Amphan'. Among those present at the meeting were Union Minister Amit Shah and officials of MHA, NDMA and NDRF. The meeting took place at PM Modi's official residence at 4 pm.
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