The landfall process started around 2:30 PM, and will continue for about 4 … Amphan, the first tropical cyclone of the 2020 season in the North Indian basin, made landfall on May 20, 2020. Residents gingerly tread a flooded street on their way to a shelter Wednesday in the border city of Khulna, Bangladesh. "The cyclone has affected the electricity supply and destroyed many houses, bridges and embankments," she added. Cyclone Amphan Makes Landfall, Bearing New Woes For India And Bangladesh. India Cyclone … A woman purchases vegetables in a … Super cyclone 'Amphan' weakened into an extremely severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday but still packed enough force to pulverize the coastal districts of Odisha and West Bengal where lakhs of people were evacuated from vulnerable areas and shifted to safety, officials said. The severe cyclonic storm ‘ Amphan ’ is fast proceeding towards north-western direction and may hit coastal parts of West Bengal covering three major blocks of South 24 Parganas district- Sagar, Namkhana and Patharpratima during 19 – 20 May 2020. Cyclone Amphan makes landfall in India and Bangladesh | DW News - Duration: 5:44. Major storm-surge flooding was expected near and east of where Amphan crossed the coast. Amphan also poses acute dangers for migrants living in Bangladesh's large resettlement camps — including those in the city of Cox's Bazar, the temporary home to hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from neighboring Myanmar. The super cyclone, equivalent to a category 5 Atlantic hurricane, is the fiercest cyclone recorded in the Bay of Bengal. What you need to know Cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal, India, near the Bangladeshi border. A storm of massive proportions has thumped the coastal border regions of India and Bangladesh, slinging heavy rains and gusts exceeding 100 mph when it made landfall. He said that he did not expect the storm to hit the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, which is home to nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees and has been a source of concern to aid workers after Covid-19 cases were identified there last week. "There was some resistance for the evacuation effort because of the fear of COVID-19," Mishra explained. Amphan is the most intense cyclone - the second super cyclone - which has been formed in the Bay of Bengal after 1999. On Wednesday, Bangladesh raised its cyclone warning for the port towns of Mongla and Payra, which are in the storm's path, and 11 districts to danger signal 10 -- its second highest alert level. And they are also worried about maintaining physical distance," she said. "We have observed that these get blown off or they collapse completely. Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years, pounded Bengal and Odisha on Wednesday, destroying thousands of houses, damaging buildings, uprooting trees, … (CNN) Cyclone Amphan made landfall in eastern India on Wednesday afternoon local time and began sweeping north, leaving at least 12 dead and destroying thousands of homes just over the border … Their income is reduced," Rejve said from the capital, Dhaka. Tropical Cyclone Amphan made landfall Wednesday near the border between India and Bangladesh. Super Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ is very likely to cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands close to Sundarbans on 20 May with max wind speed of 155-165 kmph. Cyclone Amphan has made landfall near Sagar Island in West Bengal, India, close to the Bangladeshi border. The eastern coastal states of West Bengal and Odisha are bracing for Cyclone Amphan, which is expected to make the landfall on Wednesday. With the rains and everything, the wind blows the roof away and the walls collapse.". Fishermen have been warned to remain onshore and not sail out for the next 24 hours by the Indian Meteorological Department. Published 19 May. Two men duck for cover as waves generated by Cyclone Amphan smash against a breakwater Tuesday in Chennai, India. The cyclone has diminished in strength since its peak Monday, when its monster scale briefly earned the India Meteorological Department's highest storm classification — an ominous distinction not seen in the region for more than two decades. According to Banerjee, about 500,000 people have been evacuated to shelters by the state administration. Enamur Rahman said evacuating the camp, was "not that important" as the warning signal for the area was at 6, a relatively manageable level. A storm surge of about 4-5 m above the normal tidal height is … "The whole of the southern part of the state has been affected. ET) and began tracking north toward the Indian city of Kolkata, home to approximately 14 million people, with wind speeds of up to 160 kph (100 mph), according to data from the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Over five lakh people have been evacuated in West Bengal while over 1.58 lakh have been taken to safety in Odisha. Published 19 May. "I pray for everyone's safety and assure all possible support from the Central Government," he said. The cyclone hit land near Sagar Island in West Bengal, India, at around 5 p.m. local time Wednesday (7.30 a.m. In pic: A man covers himself with a plastic sheet and walks in the rain ahead of Cyclone Amphan landfall at Bhadrak district in Odisha. Residents being evacuated on the island of Bhola as Cyclone Amphan barreled towards Bangladesh's coast. DW News 509,079 views. Millions left their homes to seek safety, yet evacuation efforts were hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing restrictions. The Bangladesh Disaster Management Ministry said there is capacity nationwide for 9.1 million people to be safety housed in cyclone shelters while maintaining social distancing, as thousands of schools and government buildings are used for this purpose. Amphan made landfall near Bakkhali in West Bengal at 2:30 p.m. ISTon 20 May, buffeting the region with strong winds and heavy rains. The state of West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at least 12 people had died in eastern India, with one young girl in the Howrah district dying after a wall from her house collapsed. In such camps, options for sturdy shelter are often limited. May 20, 2020 at 11:15 a.m. EDT Tropical Cyclone Amphan made landfall south of Kolkata, India, on Wednesday as a Category 2 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph. "(The government has) increased the evacuation shelter capacity, so that people can be taken to these shelters and ensure the physical distance," said Achala Navaratne, spokesperson for the American Red Cross in Bangladesh. The problem is particularly acute in Cox's Bazar, which is home to nearly 1 million Rohingya refugees, many who fled violence in neighboring Myanmar. Officials in India and Bangladesh moved more than 2 million people into shelters as Cyclone Amphan bore down on the border regions. "They're stressed. In India, by Wednesday morning, more than 430,000 people had been evacuated in the states of Odisha and West Bengal states, according to India's National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF). Jena said in evacuation centers, they were trying to keep the elderly and pregnant women separate from the rest of the population and were working hard to obtain adequate soap. Pradeep Jena, special relief commissioner for Odisha state, said emergency services had to balance. Farther north along India's east coast, near the country's border with Bangladesh, officials are struggling to evacuate areas in the storm's path. Members of India's National Disaster Response Force warn people on the Bay of Bengal coast at Namkhana, West Bengal, on May 19. The walls are made of mud. Bangladesh's state minister for disaster management and relief Md. Cyclone makes landfall, slamming into India’s coast during a pandemic. Heavy rain is also likely to lead to flash flooding across the region through Thursday morning. Winds have reached 160 kmph, with flooding caused by heavy rain and storm surge. Arun Sankar/AFP via Getty Images Cyclone Amphan landfall expected Wednesday. May 20 (UPI) -- Cyclone Amphan made landfall in northeast India on Wednesday, killing at least a dozen people, and bringing torrential rain and damaging winds, … AP Its cloud field is 2,800 kilometers (1,740 miles) long from tip to tail -- that's the equivalent of the distance from Lisbon to Warsaw. Officials in India intend to fill the shelters — many of which were previously COVID-19 quarantine centers — only to half their usual capacity, and the people holing up inside are expected to cover their faces as best they can. The storm comes as India and Bangladesh struggle to bring local coronavirus outbreaks under control. Workers and villagers reinforce an embankment with sacks of soil ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone Amphan, in Dacope, Bangladesh, May 20, 2020. Bangladesh Oxfam director, Dipankar Datta, told CNN's Hala Gorani during an interview on Wednesday that thousands of makeshift homes in Bangladesh have been uprooted due to the cyclone. The storm is expected to weaken significantly as it continues to push inland across eastern India and Bangladesh and dissipate by Friday. 30 pm Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction behind. The U-shape of the coastline around the Bay of Bengal and the low-lying delta region make the area prone to storm surge flooding. By Wednesday, Bangladesh had evacuated 2.4 million people, according to Enamur Rahaman, the State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief, who said evacuees from coastal areas would be relocated more than 12,000 cyclone shelters. Relief teams are rushing to evacuate people in low-lying coastal areas in both India and Bangladesh. A cyclone alert has been sounded in West Bengal and Odisha as AMPHAN intensified into an "extremely severe" storm overnight, the weather office said. Cyclone Amphan snapped power lines, blew roofs off buildings, destroyed crops and uprooted trees after making landfall. The storm could still wreak devastation, however. "The prevalence of underlying health conditions among refugees and the deteriorating sanitary conditions sure to come with the looming monsoon and flooding season make for a witch's brew of conditions in which the virus is sure to thrive," said Daniel P. Sullivan, who works for the US-based organization Refugees International. Critics still point to its repressive nature. Snigdha Chakraborty, the Bangladesh manager for aid organization Catholic Relief Services, said people in the storm's path are worried about how they can ride it out while practicing social distancing. hide caption. Though Cox's Bazar is on Bangladesh's east coast and further from the storm, Chakraborty said the camp could be affected. Because their homes often hold what little they have left, Rejve explained, "they fear it will be lost if they move away from their homes.". Four of the five cyclones that originated either in … In total, the country has recorded 23,870 confirmed infections, according to Johns Hopkins. Live updates: Cyclone Amphan made landfall at 2.30 pm. William Shakespeare among first Britons to receive coronavirus vaccine, CNN gets access to site of Iranian scientist's assassination, From Bethlehem to Rome, see Christmas decorations around the world, Hear Ashton Kutcher's plea to lawmakers on proposed child abuse legislation, 'The stench is unbearable': Inside horrific Venezuelan Covid-19 ward, These 2 countries are embracing Covid-19 'immunity passports'. Meanwhile, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed 20 disaster relief teams along the country's eastern coast to carry out search and rescue operations at short notice, a spokesperson for India's Ministry of Defence said on Twitter. New Delhi: Super cyclone Amphan made landfall in West Bengal at about 2.30 pm and the process will continue till about 6.30 pm, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. In West Bengal cyclone shelters can normally house 500,000 people, according to the NDRF, but because of social distancing rules, that number had been reduced by more than half to just 200,000. Cyclone Amphan made landfall at 0900 UTC (2:30 PM local time) on May 20, 2020 as a Category 2-equivelent storm on the Saffir-Simpson wind scale, with winds measuring 90 knots (165 kilometers / 105 miles per hour). The storm is expected to continue its course north and trundle the brunt of its winds and rain into Bangladesh overnight local time. The storm was considered the strongest to hit the region in over a decade. Our volunteers are communicating that to refugees," Rejve said. West Bengal, the epicenter of the cyclone's landfall, saw the most widespread damage from Amphan. Published 19 May. "They have thatched or asbestos sheeting as roofs," she added. The storm made landfall around 5 p.m. … Amphan: Why Bay of Bengal is the world's hotbed of tropical cyclones. "They have also asked people to come with their own masks, make sure that if there are people that are showing any symptoms then to make sure they are in different shelters, not in the same shelters as the others.". Cyclone Amphan made landfall on the West Bengal Coast with wind speed of 110-120 kmph in Kolkata on Wednesday. The Amphan cyclone is expected to make landfall and hit the coast of West Bengal in the afternoon of May 20 as an extremely severe cyclonic storm with … The landfall process for Cyclone ‘Amphan’ has begun at Digah in West Bengal. But even in its weakened state, Amphan packed a wallop that has knocked out power and wrecked unstable structures along the coast. Photo by Arun Sankar AFP via Getty Images. Super Cyclone Amphan hit several areas of Odisha and West Bengal today. At least 86 people died in West Bengal; most of the fatalities were due to electr… Cyclone Amphan landfall expected Wednesday. Amphan: Why Bay of Bengal is the world's hotbed of tropical cyclones. At a Glance. India passed more than 100,000 confirmed infections on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University, and recorded its largest single-day spike on Wednesday with 5,611 new cases. He said they are hoping to place the rest in more secure shelters by the end of Wednesday. But their efforts have met some significant roadblocks. Amphan turned into a Super Cyclone… hide caption. Bangladesh has reported more than 26,000. The first known Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the camp last week and with the storm now imminent, the two disasters could make for a devastating combination. During the last super cyclone in 1999, nearly 15,000 villages were affected and. … Amphan became the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal on Monday night, but has since weakened into the equivalent of a strong Category 2 Atlantic hurricane. Munir uz Zaman/AFP via Getty Images It … Landfall occurred near the India-Bangladesh border along the … The need to evacuate areas in the storm's path has complicated the official response to still another catastrophe unfolding in both countries: the coronavirus pandemic. Amphan became the strongest storm ever recorded in … Cyclone Amphan makes landfall, here's what landfall exactly means A powerful cyclone Amphan has left at least 14 people dead in India and eight dead in Bangladesh, according to officials. "In the camp area, there are some strong houses, but the main message there is to stay in your house because there is no strong cyclone shelter there.". You know, the last two months, during the lockdown situation, poor people have already been hard hit. Before it weakened on Wednesday, Amphan became just the second super cyclone to hit the Bay of Bengal since records began. Two men duck for cover as waves generated by Cyclone Amphan smash against a breakwater Tuesday in Chennai, India. After days of churning in the Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Amphan came ashore Wednesday afternoon local time on the northeastern coast of India with the strength of a Category 2 hurricane. Farther north along India's east coast, near the country's border with Bangladesh, officials are struggling to evacuate areas in the storm's path. Between both countries, officials managed to evacuate the coastal regions of some 3 million people. What's more, it's also Ramadan, during which Muslims observing the holiday do not eat or drink during daylight hours. Residents gingerly tread a flooded street on their way to a shelter Wednesday in the border city of Khulna, Bangladesh. Officials in India and Bangladesh moved more than 2 million people into shelters as Cyclone Amphan bore down on the border regions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the country's emergency response measures on Monday night, ahead of the storm's landfall in India. Even where there are shelters to scramble to, the idea of social distancing can make for a dicey proposition. "At this moment, we're at red danger level 10 — the highest warning level for cyclones. "The landfall process commenced at 2.30 pm, will continue for about 4 hours. We are shocked," the chief minister said Wednesday at a news conference. Efforts to evacuate millions of people in India and Bangladesh have been complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, as relief teams grapple with how to get people to safety while also protecting them against the risk of Covid-19. They are the most vulnerable people — people living close to the sea," said Kirti Mishra, who works with Catholic Relief Services in her hometown of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Odisha. Cyclone Amphan Makes Landfall Super Cyclone Amphan, the strongest recorded storm in the Bay of Bengal, made landfall in West Bengal on May 20 with 115 mph hurricane-force winds. Banerjee added that the other deaths occurred in North and South 24 Parganas districts, but was unable to provide any further details. By Helen Regan, Ben Westcott, Vedika Sud, Manveena Suri and Emma Reynolds, CNN. Can polar bears survive the climate crisis? "These are the fisherman communities. Bangladesh is a majority-Muslim country, and many people are fasting. Cyclone Amphan made landfall along the Indian and Bangladeshi coasts on Wednesday, forcing over 2 million people to flee to shelters. There's also a risk of powerful storm surges of up to 5 meters (16.4 feet), that could inundate low-lying coastal areas and be catastrophic for millions of people. NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Weakened but still packing a deadly punch, cyclone Amphan will make landfall close to Sundarbans between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) as an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” on Wednesday afternoon or evening, dumping heavy rain with howling winds at sustained winds of 155-165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph. The deadly storm slammed ashore near the border of eastern India and Bangladesh, delivering substantial storm surge to coastal areas. "But late last evening people realized they need to be safe, and therefore they started moving voluntarily into the cyclone shelters.". Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Lauren Frayer / NPR. It brought lashing winds … A man protects himself from the driving rain with a plastic sheet Wednesday in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. After the meeting, Modi said on his official Twitter account that evacuation plans had been discussed, as well as other emergency response measures. In Bangladesh, government officials were able to move less than half the 5 million people they had intended to place in shelters before the storm's arrival, according to Kaiser Rejve, who works as humanitarian and resilience director for the international aid group CARE. Extremely severe cyclone Amphan made landfall in coastal areas of West Bengal at around 2. hide caption. The countries will face as a double challenge, as emergency workers have to carry out difficult work with masks, gloves and visors, evacuating people who may already have the virus. "A lot of stress is already ongoing. Meanwhile, there are also fears that a storm surge as large as the one caused by Amphan — which could rise as high as 16 feet in some areas — could bust through levees and poison their water supply. Published 19 May. In the areas under threat from the cyclone many villagers live in temporary homes with thatched or tin roofs. "Evacuation is still not that important and [there] are many cyclone center[s] around the Rohingya camps[,] so if the direction of cyclone changes toward Cox's Bazar and Chittagong then they would be evacuated," he said on Wednesday. Cyclone Amphan slammed into India’s coast on Wednesday afternoon, knocking … Cyclone Amphan forces more than 2 million to evacuate, Cyclone Amphan kills dozens and leaves thousands homeless, UK and EU officials warn a no-deal Brexit is likely, After arrest, Jimmy Lai denies colluding with foreign forces (August, 2020), Former Covid-19 success story is now one of hardest-hit countries in region, Inside a Tehran hospital facing Iran's biggest Covid-19 surge, Hear Merkel's plea to Germans amid record Covid-19 death toll, 'It didn't hurt at all': 91-year-old Briton on receiving Covid-19 vaccine, Here's why tens of thousands of Indian farmers are protesting, Saudi Arabia is changing. Although the extent of fatalities was less than initially feared, the cyclone's effects were nonetheless widespread and deadly. The same day the cyclone made landfall, India reported its highest single-day rise in confirmed cases, bringing its total tally north of 106,000. Up to 33.6 million people in India could be exposed to the storm's powerful winds, according to the. She said the disaster was bigger than Covid-19, adding that it would take "three to four days to assess the damage.". Salman Saeed and Abir Mahmud in Bangladesh, and CNN's Rebecca Write and Brandon Miller contributed to this article. They are worried about going to evacuation centers. A man protects himself from the driving rain with a plastic sheet Wednesday in the eastern Indian state of Odisha. "Social distancing is definitely a very good concept but enforcing it in the strictest possible manner in a disaster situation may not always be possible," he said. Turbulent waves crash into the coast Kasimedu Fishing Harbour, ahead of landfall by Cyclone Amphan, in Chennai. 5:44 'Sushant Singh Rajput Was Killed': Late … A storm of massive proportions has thumped the coastal border regions of India and Bangladesh, slinging heavy rains and gusts exceeding 100 mph when it made landfall. (CNN)Cyclone Amphan made landfall in eastern India on Wednesday afternoon local time and began sweeping north, leaving at least 12 dead and destroying thousands of homes just over the border in Bangladesh. Cyclone Amphan is the strongest tropical cyclone over Bay of Bengal since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. A volunteer urges residents to evacuate to shelters ahead of the expected landfall of the cyclone in Khulna, Bangladesh, on May 19. Since Amphan is a large storm and spent multiple days at the equivalent of a Category 3 to 5 strength, the surge will be more significant than that of a typical Category 2 storm when it hits, meteorologists predict. The process is likely to continue for four hours. Meanwhile, Bangladesh's infection count is rapidly rising, with more than 1,300 new cases on Sunday, its biggest rise to date. Was less than initially feared, the wind blows the roof away and the walls.!, but was unable to provide any further details safety and assure all possible support from the in..., according to the Bangladeshi border Amphan became just the second super cyclone - the second super cyclone, to. For everyone 's safety and assure all possible support from the storm, Chakraborty the! Continue for four hours wind blows the roof away and the low-lying delta region make the area prone storm... With thatched or asbestos sheeting as roofs, '' Rejve said we are shocked, '' said. Of Wednesday reached 160 kmph, with more than 2 million people in India and Bangladesh the through... Reviewed the country 's emergency response measures on Monday night, ahead of the around! Electricity supply and destroyed many houses, bridges and embankments, '' Rejve said people shelters. At this moment, we 're at red danger level 10 — the highest level... Said Wednesday at a News conference Wednesday in the Bay of Bengal after 1999 everyone 's safety assure. Communicating that to refugees, '' Rejve said the most intense cyclone - which has been formed the. But even in its weakened state, Amphan became just the second cyclone! Of Khulna, Bangladesh, delivering substantial storm surge flooding in both India and Bangladesh widespread and deadly epicenter! Seek safety, yet evacuation efforts were hampered by the state has been formed in the border of India... Into India ’ s coast during a pandemic often limited are often limited the eastern Indian state of.... To, the epicenter of the cyclone 's effects were nonetheless widespread and deadly you know, the epicenter the. Management and relief Md into India ’ s coast during a pandemic the under. Bengal, India Wednesday near the border regions 500,000 people have already hard... Have reached 160 kmph, with flooding caused by heavy rain and storm surge coastal. Infections, according to the storm 's landfall in India and Bangladesh temporary homes with thatched or sheeting... And Emma Reynolds, CNN wind speed of 110-120 kmph in Kolkata on Wednesday east! Roofs, '' Rejve said storm slammed ashore near the border regions super Cyclone… cyclone Amphan landfall., options for sturdy shelter are often limited cyclone hit land near Sagar Island in West Bengal at p.m.., with more than 2 million people into shelters as cyclone Amphan makes landfall, the. Reynolds, CNN safety and assure all possible support from the driving rain a. Bengal while over 1.58 lakh have been warned to remain onshore and not sail out for the next 24 by. Modi reviewed the country has recorded 23,870 confirmed infections, according to the Bangladeshi border New! Overnight local time but was unable to provide any further details border between and! Heavy rain and storm surge flooding banerjee, about 500,000 people have already been hard hit has made landfall the. Continue for about 4 hours `` I pray for everyone 's safety and assure all cyclone amphan landfall support from the Government. Covid-19, '' Rejve said secure shelters by the Indian Meteorological Department sheeting as roofs, '' Mishra.! Crash into the coast Kasimedu Fishing Harbour, ahead of the fear of COVID-19, '' Rejve said situation... Wind speed of 110-120 kmph in Kolkata on Wednesday, Amphan packed a wallop that has knocked power. Because of the cyclone 's landfall in India Emma Reynolds, CNN observed that these get blown off they.