Cyclone Amphan roared into Bengal today at around 2.30 pm, ripping away walls, toppling trees and causing power cuts. Wind speeds going up to 120 km/hr and heavy rain caused widespread destruction across the state. Kolkata was severely battered; each blow of the cyclone leaving behind a trail of wreckage.
Many put up videos on social media. Locked up in their houses, people shared terrifying clips to show the extent of damage that Cyclone Amphan brought to the West Bengal capital. At least 12 people have died in Bengal.
Parked cars bumped into each other at a south Kolkata highrise, an electrical transformer exploded and many trees were uprooted in dramatic videos that were shared on social media. Power outages were reported from several parts of the city.
Howling winds banged against doors and broke glass windows, a Kolkata resident shared his experience with NDTV.
Twitter was flooded with videos.
There was a short circuit on overhead electrical wires, as shared on Twitter.
Over five lakh people have been taken to shelters in West Bengal and over one lakh in Odisha, the National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) chief said.
The cyclone is passing mainly over North and South 24 Parganas, Midnapore, Hooghly, and Kolkata.
Cyclone Amphan is only the second "super cyclone" to form over the Bay of Bengal since records began, and the first since 1999. Odisha was hit by a super cyclone that left nearly 10,000 dead in 1999.
Cyclone Amphan Resulted In Losses Worth USD 14 Billion In India: UN Report Mamata Banerjee Government "Looted" Financial Aid Provided After Cyclone Amphan: Dilip Ghosh Four Cyclones This Year Were In "Severe" Category Or Above, Says Weather Office "Trusted Mamata Banerjee But...": Father Of Murdered Doctor To NDTV "Like Indira Gandhi...": Student Arrested For 'Shoot Mamata Banerjee' Post Flower Seller Forced To Buy iPhone For Son On Hunger Strike, Internet Reacts Elite Jewish High School Graduates Shun Columbia Amid Protest Turmoil Chhattisgarh Father Beats Girl, 8, To Death. She Was Fighting Sister For Toy In Lateral Entry Row, Rahul Gandhi Renews "Attack On Dalits..." Criticism Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.