Updates: Odisha reports 3 deaths due to cyclone Amphan

India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that Bhadrak and Balasore cities of Odisha will continue to have damaging impact for 2-3 more hours. After this, the state will not have damaging impact anymore, reports ANI.

Bhadrak and Balasore (in Odisha) will continue to have damaging impact for 2-3 more hours. After this Odisha will not have any damaging impact: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. #Amphan pic.twitter.com/gT93ToXzcF

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020

India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that First arm of Cyclone Amphan has touched land. The eye of cyclone is expected to touch land anytime now, reports PTI.

India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the states of Assam and Meghalaya are expected to receive heavy rainfall very soon.

India Meteorological Department chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the cyclonic storm is expected to reach West Bengal's capital city Kolkata by this evening.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan during the joint NDRF-IMD briefing mentioned that a more than 5 lakh people and more than 1.58 lakh people have been evacuated in West Bengal and Odisha respectively.

More than 5 Lakh people have been evacuated in West Bengal and 1,58,640 people in Odisha: SN Pradhan, NDRF chief #SuperCycloneAmphan pic.twitter.com/8LwSyPqkLC

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan during a media briefing said that a total of 41 teams have been deployed in the states of Odisha and West Bengal for rescue and relief efforts.

Pradeep Kumar Jenna, the Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha said that the cyclone has moved down its originally forecasted path. It has already crossed Paradip, Kendrapara, Dhamra, and right now it is at sea adjoining Balasore. He also mentioned that it will make landfall in the next 3 hours, reports ANI.

There is info about 1 casualty in Bhadrak. Medical&admin team proceeded to village to inquest, after which exact cause of death can be decided by Collector. Another death occurred yesterday. It is not cyclone related death as of now: PK Jena,Special Relief Commissioner #Odisha https://t.co/AeLgtrHlg0 pic.twitter.com/sgKqibDMz6

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020

The India Meteorological Department said that landfall process of extremely severe cyclone Amphan started at 2.30 this afternoon and will continue for a period of four hours, reports PTI.

Super Cyclone Amphan has begun making landfall near the Sunderbans in West Bengal with a wind speed of 155 to 165kmph gusting to 185kmph as an extremely severe cyclonic storm.

Bangladesh has reported its first death from Amphan as the cyclone is moving towards north-north eastwards and cross the coast between Bangladesh and West Bengal late in the afternoon.

The India Meteorological Department said that Amphan will move north-north eastwards and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha and Hatiya close to Sunderbans during late afternoon to evening with wind speed of km/ph gusting to 185 km/ph, reports ANI.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan said that a total of 4.5 lakh people have been evacuated in the states of West Bengal and Odisha ahead of Cyclone Amphan's landfall, reports PTI.

The India Meteorological Department said that Amphan centered at 12:30 pm this afternoon as an extremely severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal about 95 km south-southeast of Digha, West Bengal, reports ANI.

#CycloneAmphan centered at 12:30 pm as an extremely severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal about 95 km south-southeast of Digha, West Bengal: Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) pic.twitter.com/OZECXUYTwm

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2020

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General SN Pradhan said that the states of West Bengal and Odisha evacuated 1.5 lakh and 3.3 lakh people respectively in view of Cyclone Amphan which is set to make a landfall later in the day. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the landfall will take place between West Bengal's coastal town Digha and the Hatiya islands of Bangladesh, reports ANI.

Authorities in Bangladesh have moved hundreds of Rohingya refugees living on a flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal to storm shelters as super cyclone Amphan, the strongest recorded in the region, barrels down, they said, reports Reuters.