Bengal and Odisha brace for cyclone, PM Modi takes stock
WITH WIND SPEED OF 145 KNOTS, IT IS NOW STRONGEST CYCLONE EVER IN BAY OF BENGAL (SINCE 1982 WHEN MONITORING BEGAN) BEATING PHAILIN, THE SUPER CYCLONE OF 1999
cyclone Amphan will make landfall in West Bengal between Digha and Hatiya Island in Bangladesh on Wednesday afternoon and is likely to have a devastating impact on the biodiverse Sundarbans mangrove forest region, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. This is the first super cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal since 1999 when over 9,000 people were killed in Odisha.
The wind speed is expected to be around 110 to 120 km per hour when Amphan crosses and is feared to lead to extensive damage even in Kolkata. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting to review the response measures to deal with Amphan and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)’S evacuation plan. Officials said NDRF has deployed 25 teams, kept 12 others ready in reserve and 24 on the standby.
In a social media discussion organised by Union earth sciences ministry, IMD director general M Mohapatra said the cyclone can lead to the uprooting of trees, electric poles, damage to makeshift houses and old structures besides extensive flooding in densely-populated areas with poor drainage.
“All kinds of adverse weather can be expected as this is an extremely intense storm. I am making it very clear that it will be very intense,” said Mohapatra. He added Amphan intensified rapidly from a cyclonic storm on Saturday to a super cyclone by Monday afternoon with a wind speed of 220 to 230 km per hour. Amphan was expected to maintain its super cyclone status and intensity over the next 24 hours.
According to a statement by the MHA, the Indian Coast Guard and the Navy have deployed ships and helicopters for relief and rescue operations. Army and Air Force units are also on standby in West Bengal and Odisha.
Mohapatra said the cyclone is also expected to extensively damage the biodiversity of Sunderbans.
In north coastal Odisha also, wind speed can go up to 135 km per hour during landfall, but major damage is not expected as the cyclone is expected to cross parallel to the state’s coast.
“WB [West Bengal] coast is very shallow in nature... normal tidal waves go much inland. This can go up to 25 km along the rivers,” said Mohapatra. He added Amphan is meeting all favourable conditions for a rapid increase of intensity, including high sea surface temperatures, atmospheric instability, high humidity vorticity.
IMD said this is the first time that super cyclones will be recorded in two consecutive years—kyarr (2019) and now Amphan--and could be linked to higher sea surface temperatures. Kyarr was formed in the Arabian Sea but was concentrated there and caused no fatalities.
“All conditions are currently favourable for the development of a super cyclone. Sea surface temperature is in range of 30 to 31 degree Celsius, as compared to an expected temperature of 28 degree Celsius,” said Sunita Devi, in charge of cyclones at IMD.
Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the IITM, said Amphan has intensified extremely rapidly compared to other cyclones. “Since satellite data is available, such rapid intensification has not been seen. Cyclones draw energy from the ocean surface. So, sea surface temp is an important factor. Also, with wind speed of 145 knots, it is now the strongest cyclone ever in Bay of Bengal (since 1982 when monitoring began) beating Phailin, the super cyclone of 1999.