Tropical Cyclone “Amphan” intensifying in the Bay of Bengal, landfall expected along the India – Bangladesh border

Tropical Cyclone "Amphan" formed at around 15:00 UTC on May 16, 2020, in the southeastern Bay of Bengal as the first named storm of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone season. The cyclone is intensifying and is expected to make landfall along the India – Bangladesh border on May 20 as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.

At 06:00 UTC on May 17, Amphan was a Severe Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained surface wind speeds up to 105 km/h (65 mph) and gusts to 115 km/h (72 mph). At the time, the center of the system was located about 650 km (400 miles) E of Chennai and 700 km (440 miles) W of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

Amphan is slowly moving northwestwards with a speed of 2 km/h (1.2 mph). Its estimated mean sea level pressure is 988 hPa.

Tropical Cyclone "Amphan" on May 16, 2020. Credit: NASA/NOAA SuomiNPP/VIIRS

IR image of Tropical Cyclone "Amphan" at 09:00 UTC on May 17, 2020. Credit: ISRO/RAPID

IR image of Tropical Cyclone "Amphan" at 09:00 UTC on May 17, 2020. Credit: ISRO/RAPID

According to the IMD forecast, the system is very likely to further intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm by the end of the UTC day and into Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm by early May 19.

Slow NW movement is expected over the next 24 hours followed by re-curve NNE and fast movement across the northwest Bay of Bengal before it crosses West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Digha and Hatiya Islands between 09:00 and 12:00 UTC on May 20 as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speeds up to 135 km/h (84 mph) and gusts to 150 km/h (93 mph) — Category 1 hurricane equivalent on the Saffir Simpson scale.

Featured image: Tropical Cyclone "Amphan" at 09:00 UTC on May 17, 2020. Credit: ISRO/RAPID