‘Amphan’ to intensify into super cyclone by evening: MHA

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ is likely to intensify into a super cyclone by Monday evening and hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts as a very severe cyclone with a wind speed up to 185 km per hour on Wednesday, the Home Ministry said.

In an advisory to West Bengal and Odisha governments, the ministry said ‘Amphan’ (pronounced as UM-PUN) is now spotted over the central parts of South Bay of Bengal and the adjoining central Bay of Bengal. It has been moving nearly northwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 0530 hours IST on Monday, the ministry said.

The cyclone is currently over west-central and adjoining central parts of South Bay of Bengal (near latitude 13.2 N and longitude 86.3 E) about 790 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha), 940 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1,060 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), a home ministry official said, quoting an India Meteorological Department bulletin. The storm is very likely to intensify further into a super cyclonic storm by Monday evening, the official said.