Cyclone Amphan Slams Into Bengal, Over 100 Kmph Winds In Kolkata

Kolkata and nearby areas are witnessing winds of over 100 kmph and pounding rain after Cyclone Amphan, one of the worst storms over the Bay of Bengal in years, made landfall this evening in West Bengal towards Sunderbans, a marshy region famous for its mangroves. The eye of the cyclone, 30 km in diameter, has touched land, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrityunjay Mohapatra said. 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 today in a press briefing. East Midnapore and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal are also seeing heavy rain. The wind speed could be from 110-120 km per when it reaches Howrah, Kolkata and Hoogli, a senior IMD official told reporters. Amphan weakened from a super cyclone to an "extremely severe cyclonic storm" on Tuesday, causing strong winds and heavy rain in parts of Odisha and Bengal as it advanced towards the Indian coast.