Bhubaneswar: As cyclone Amphan hurtles towards the coast, India Meteorological Department (IMD) DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Monday informed that the extremely severe cyclonic storm is very likely to intensify into a super cyclone.
Speaking to OTV, Mohapatra said “Cyclone Amphan is gathering more strength and intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm at around 2.30 am today. The formation will intensify further in the next 12 hours and is likely to turn into a super cyclone.”
“At the time of landfall in the day time or evening on May 20, when the cyclone will cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh), the maximum wind speed will reach 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph,” added the DG.
As predicted by the IMD earlier, there is no change in the alert issued for Odisha and West Bengal. The cyclone will gain strength in the next 12 hours in sea and thereafter when it will move towards north of Bay of Bengal, it will gradually weaken in a phased manner,” said DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
Under the influence of cyclone Amphan, the northern coastal districts of Odisha including Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore will witness strong winds and heavy rainfall on May 19 and 20. During landfall process, the highest wind speed is likely to remain between 120-135 kmph in these districts, stated Mohapatra.
On the other hand, weather expert Umashankar Das says that the latest predictions hint at maximum wind speed accelerating to 200-230 kmph, gusting up to 255 kmph when Amphan turns into a Super Cyclone.
The IMD in its morning bulletin said the extremely severe cyclonic storm ‘AMPHAN’ over central parts of South Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred over west-central and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal, about 790 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 940 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1060 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh).
“It is very likely to intensify further into a Super Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours,” added the IMD bulletin.
Coastal Odisha is likely to experience light to moderate rainfall at many places from May 18 evening with heavy falls at isolated places over coastal Odisha including Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara district, predicted the Met agency.
Rainfall at most places and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places over north coastal Odisha (Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore & Mayurbhanj districts) will be seen on May 19.
Similarly, isolated heavy rainfall over north Odisha (Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts) will occur on May 20.
(Edited By- Devbrat Patnaik)
https://youtu.be/DoCx0jSb430