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Cyclone 'Amphan' batters West Bengal, leaves at least 2 dead

The cyclone crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya Islands across Sunderbans near between 3:30 pm and 5-30 pm with wind speed of 155-165 gusting to 185 kmph.

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Cyclone 'Amphan' which made landfall as an extremely severe cyclone packing winds of up to 190 kmph battered West Bengal on Wednesday, bringing heavy rain and leaving a trail of destruction that has left at least two people dead. 

The landfall process of cyclone 'Amphan' commenced at 2.30 pm between Digha in West Bengal and Hatiya island in Bangladesh, the India Meteorological Department said.

"The forward sector of the wall cloud region is entering into land in West Bengal," it added. 

The Met department said the intensity of the cyclone near its centre as the landfall process started was recorded at 160-170 kmph, gusting to 190 kmph, which falls under the category of 'Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm'.

The cyclone crossed West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya Islands across Sunderbans near between 3:30 pm and 5-30 pm with wind speed of 155-165 gusting to 185 kmph.

In its 7 pm bulletin, the Met department said the Super Cyclonic Storm `AMPHAN' (pronounced as UM-PUN) over Northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 25 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed West Bengal —Bangladesh coasts as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with a speed of 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph across Sundarbans. 

It lay centred at 5:30 pm over West Bengal coast, 95 km east-northeast of Digha (West Bengal), 35 km northeast of Sagar Islands and 185 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh). 

Alipur in Kolkata reported 112 kmph winds at 5:52 pm, the agency said.
 
Amphan cut a swathe through the coastal areas, flattening fragile dwellings, uprooting trees and electric poles on its way. At least 6.58 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha over the last two days before the cyclone struck.

Earlier, the Met said The system is likely to move north-northeastwards after landfall and pass close to Kolkata in its eastern side causing extensive damage and flooding of low-lying areas of the city, the Met department warned. 

Several districts in the Gangetic West Bengal have seen heavy rain and gale wind since morning and the intensity of the downpour and wind is increasing gradually with every passing hour.

The weather agency has issued heavy rainfall warning for over north coastal Odisha on Wednesday. Few places in West Bengal will witness heavy to very heavy falls at a few places while isolated places over Gangetic West Bengal, including east & west Medinipur, south & north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogli, Kolkata and adjoining districts, will see extremely heavy falls on Wednesday and isolated heavy rain over interior districts on Thursday. 

The first death due to the cyclone was confirmed in Howrah district in West Bengal while another fatality was reported in North 24 Parganas district. 

Two women were killed in Howrah district and Minakhan area of North 24 Parganas district due to uprooting of trees, an official said.

A 13-year-old girl in Howrah died after tin roof collapsed on her while the death in North 24 Parganas was reportedly due to uprooting of trees. 

The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) has deployed 20 teams for the road clearing operations in Odisha while the 19 units deployed in West Bengal were shifting people to safety, NDRF chief SN Pradhan told a press conference in New Delhi. 

Pradhan said over 5 lakh people were evacuated in West Bengal and more than 1.58 lakh in Odisha.

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