Photo Gallery: Cyclone Amphan makes landfall, rain lashes West Bengal and Odisha

The Cyclone Amphan on Wednesday evening crossed the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatiya Islands (Bangladesh) across Sunderbans (West Bengal) as a very severe cyclonic storm, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The cyclone will start weakening after landfall. The northern and central districts of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, east Bihar and east Jharkhand will get moderate to heavy rains until May 21 morning.

A warning has also been issued for the districts of South 24 Pargana, Midinipur and Sunderban.

Heavy rain and gale wind have affected several districts in the Gangetic West Bengal since morning and the intensity of the downpour and wind increased gradually with every passing hour.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Chief Secretary Rajiv Sinha along with other senior officials are monitoring the situation from the state’s emergency operation centre at Nabanna.

There have been reports of trees being uprooted, kaccha houses being damaged and some roads being damaged. 

For Odisha, the wind speed will be between 100 to 110 gusting to 125 kmph along and off Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts till afternoon and over Balasore district.

The cyclone will start weakening after landfall.