Cyclone Amphan to intensify into extremely severe cyclonic storm in next 6 hours, warns IMD
18 May, 2020 | Priyanka Sharma

IMD has warned that Cyclone Amphan is likely to intensify into an extremely severe cyclonic storm in next 6 hours. NDRF has deployed its teams in West Bengal and Odisha in view of the same.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Amphan’ over central parts of South Bay of Bengal is going to intensify into Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm in next 6 hours. “Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) ‘AMPHAN’ over central parts of South Bay of Bengal near latitude 12.5°N and longitude 86.4°E, about 870 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha). To intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) in the next six hours,” the IMD said in a tweet on Monday.
“To cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya island in afternoon/evening of May 20 as VSCS,” it further said. A dangerous thunderstorm and lightning alert has been issued for Jhumpura, Keonjhar, Patna, Saharpada and Champua block of Keonjhar district; Sukruli, Raruan and Karajia blocks of Mayurbhanj district, by Special Relief Organisation of the Odisha government.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has sent its 10 teams to Odisha and seven teams to West Bengal in view of the approaching Cyclone Amphan. While the NDRF teams have been deployed in West Bengal’s South 24 Pragnas, North 24 Pragnas, East and West Midnapore, Howrah and Hooghly, they have been sent to Odisha’s Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Balasore, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj.
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Very Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘AMPHAN’ over central parts of South Bay of Bengal near 12.5°N latitude and 86.4°E longitude, about 870 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha). To intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm in next 6 hours: India Meteorological Department pic.twitter.com/3xNuUtc9fN
— ANI (@ANI) May 17, 2020
The NDRF is monitoring the situation and working with states and their disaster management teams, and the IMD.