Wind speed, direction, warnings: Cyclone Amphan explained

One of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years, Amphan has slammed into West Bengal and Odisha, lashing heavy rain, winds, and waves wreaking havoc on the coastal sides of the states.

As part of the safety measures, over five lakh people have been moved to shelters in West Bengal and over one lakh people in Odisha.

Addressing the media, National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) chief said that battalions have been placed on standby at all targeted areas of the states. The cyclone is expected to reach Kolkata today (May 20), while East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal reported heavy rain. Here are 10 points explaining how cyclone Amphan is moving:

• • • With strong winds circulating in an anti-clockwise direction, the cyclone is shaped like a ring around the eye of the storm
    • The cyclone is mainly passing over Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, and Kolkata
    • The first impact of the cyclone will be when there will be strong winds from east to west
    • The wind speed is expected to be 155-185km/hour in the 24 Parganas and about 110-120km/hour in the Kolkata region (Hooghly and Howrah)
    • Further, as the storm will move northwards, after around 30-60 minutes of the strong west to east winds, the eye of the storm will pass over each area of impact. When the eye covers a particular area, the winds will die down and there may even be clear, blue skies.

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• • • During this period, people have been warned to not venture out thinking the storm has passed because 30-45 minutes later the eye of the storm will pass northward. This will cause the southern part of the ring to hit the area.
    • The winds will now move west to east and the speed will once again be as high as the earlier one. This period will last for another 30-45 minutes.
    • When the winds will hit the coastlines, the waves will be up to four-five metres in the 24 Parganas and three-four metres high in Midnapore.

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• • • The waves from coastlines will carry on up the rivers and the impact can be felt till a distance of 10-15 km inland.
    • The strong winds may carry projectiles which can prove to be deadly and can damage anything in the way. Hence, in such a situation, it is crucial for people to stay indoors.