BHUBANESWAR: India Meteorological Department on Monday issued heavy rainfall warning for Odisha, West Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Meghalaya between Monday and Thursday under the influence of 'Amphan', this year's maiden tropical storm.
Amphan intensified into a super cyclonic storm at 11.30 am on Monday and one or two places in coastal Odisha are expected to experience heavy rainfall from Monday evening onwards. The state government has readied administration of coastal districts for evacuating at least 12 people from low lying and vulnerable areas.
The national forecaster said light to moderate rainfall or thundershower is likely to occur at many places in the coastal region, Koraput and Rayagada districts, while heavy rainfall will occur at isolated places in Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, and Kendrapara districts during the same period.
Met office issued an orange warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts and heavy rainfall at one or two places in Khurda, Puri and Cuttack districts on Tuesday.
Similarly, isolated heavy rainfall will occur in Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Keonjhar districts on Wednesday. "Amphan is likely to move northwards for some time and then north-northeastwards across north-west Bay of Bengal and cross West Bengal - Bangladesh coasts between Digha (WB) and Hatiya Island (Bangladesh) on Wednesday afternoon or evening as a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speed gusting up to 185 km/hr," said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist, Umasankar Das.
Met office advised fishermen not to venture into north Bay of Bengal along and off north Odisha, West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts till Wednesday. Amphan lay centered about 780 km south of Paradip at 8.30 am on Monday.
Meanwhile, DGP Abhay visited Bhadrak district on Monday to review the preparedness for the tropical storm.