Strong winds, rainfall hit Odisha's Bhadrak ahead of cyclone Amphan

WION Web Team

New Delhi Updated: May 20, 2020, 08:15 AM IST

District administration of Bhola shows residents being evacuated in Dhalchar village on the island of Bhola as Cyclone Amphan barrels towards the Bangladesh coast. Millions of people were being moved to safety as one of the fiercest cyclones in years barrelled towards India and Bangladesh Photograph:(AFP)

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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday spoke to Members of Parliament of areas that could be affected by Cyclone Amphan.

Bhadrak in Odisha witnessed rainfall and strong winds ahead of cyclone Amphan which is expected to make landfall.

According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) cyclone Amphan will cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the afternoon to evening hours of May 20.

"Cyclone Amphan over Bay of Bengal near latitude 18.4°N & longitude 87.1°E, about 210 km nearly south of Paradip (Odisha). To cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB)& Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) close to Sundarbans during the afternoon to evening hours of 20th May," tweeted IMD.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Tuesday spoke to Members of Parliament of areas that could be affected by Cyclone Amphan.

"He urged them to be in touch with the people of their areas proactively and guide them about the arrangements being made by the agencies concerned," read a Lok Sabha press release.

Meanwhile, nineteen teams of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in West Bengal in view of the approaching cyclone Amphan.

"Six teams have been deployed in South 24 Parganas, four teams each in East Midnapore and Kolkata, three teams in North 24 Parganas and one team each in Hooghly and Howrah," Nishit Upadhyay, NDRF 2nd Battalion Commandant said.