India, Bangladesh - Tropical Cyclone AMPHAN update

Mon, 25 May 2020 07:39:00 +02:00

Following the passage of Tropical Cyclone AMPHAN that made landfall between India and Bangladesh, the number of deaths has increased to 112.
In India, 86 people died, approximately 660,000 have been evacuated, thousands of houses have been damaged/destroyed and almost 2 million people remained without power in India.
In Bangladesh, 26 people died, approximately 500,000 families have been displaced, 2,400,000 people evacuated and at least 220,000 houses were damaged.
Moderate to heavy rain with thunderstorms are forecast across north-east India, north and north-east Bangladesh. Warnings for heavy rain and thunderstorms have been issued over the States of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The Copernicus EMS was activated in rapid mapping mode (EMSR 439) on 20 May and 3 satellite maps, concerning the impact assessment of Bashan Char island (Bangladesh), were produced.

Tue, 19 May 2020 06:32:18 +02:00

Tropical Cyclone AMPHAN has intensified into a super cyclonic storm as it continues north over the central Bay of Bengal, toward India's Odisha and West Bengal States and Bangladesh's Barisal Division. On 19 May at 0.00 UTC, its centre was approximately 440 km south-east of Visakhapatnam City and 780 km south-southwest of Kolkata, with maximum sustained winds of 220 km/h.
AMPHAN is expected to continue towards the Odisha coast, slightly weakening before making landfall over southern West Bengal on the morning of 20 May with maximum sustained winds of 190-210 km/h.
Heavy rain and strong winds are expected over Odisha, West Bengal and southern Bangladesh (including the Dhaka area) on 19-21 May and a significant storm surge is forecast over West Bengal and southern Bangladesh on 20 May.
The Needs Assessment Working Group (NAWG) in Bangladesh estimates that up to 14.2 million people in coastal districts are likely to be affected, with nearly 1.4 million displaced and up to 600,000 houses damaged. Evacuation from high-risk areas is to begin today and is already underway in high-risk areas in India.