GEO PROJECT

INTRODUCTION
The word 'Amphan' is pronounced as 'Um-pun' which means
sky.It is a tropical cyclone. Tropical cyclones and subtropical
cyclones are called by many warning centres to provide ease
of announcement between forecasters and people regarding
warnings. Super Cyclonic Storm Amphan was a powerful
and catastrophic tropical cyclone that caused widespread
damage in Eastern India, specifically in West
Bengal and Odisha, and in Bangladesh, in May 2020. It was
the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges
Delta since Sidr of the 2007 season and the first super
cyclonic storm to have formed in the Bay of Bengal since
the 1999 Odisha cyclone. It was also the fourth super cyclone
that hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 1582, after 1737,
1833 and 1942, as well as being one of the strongest storms
to impact the area.Causing over US$13 billion of damage,
Amphan is also the costliest cyclone ever recorded in
the North Indian Ocean, surpassing the record held
by Cyclone Nargis of 2008.
The name comes from a list by a grouping of countries, World
Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific or WMO/ESCAP.
The panel, which includes India, Bangladesh, Myanmar,
Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand,
names cyclones in the region. "Amphan" was the last name
on the current list before a new one starts. "Amphan",
pronounced as "Um-pun", means sky. The name was given
by Thailand in 2004, years ago.
The first tropical cyclone of the 2020 North Indian Ocean cyclone
season, Amphan originated from a low-pressure area persisting a
couple hundred miles (300 km) east of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 13
May 2020. Tracking northeastward, the disturbance organized over
exceptionally warm sea surface temperatures; the Joint Typhoon
Warning Center (JTWC) upgraded the system to a tropical depression
on 15 May while the India Meteorological Department (IMD) followed
suit the following day. On 17 May, Amphan underwent rapid
intensification and became an extremely severe cyclonic storm within
12 hours.
On 18 May, at approximately 12:00 UTC, Amphan reached its peak
intensity with 3-minute sustained wind speeds of 240 km/h (150 mph),
1-minute sustained wind speeds of 270 km/h (170 mph), and a
minimum central barometric pressure of 920 mbar (27.17 inHg). The
storm began an eyewall replacement cycle shortly after it reached its
peak intensity, but the continued effects of dry air and wind
shear disrupted this process and caused Amphan to gradually
weaken as it paralleled the eastern coastline of India. On 20 May,
between 10:00 and 11:00 UTC, the cyclone made landfall in West
Bengal. At the time, the JTWC estimated Amphan's 1-minute
sustained winds to be 155 km/h (95 mph). Amphan rapidly weakened
once inland and dissipated shortly thereafter.
Coastal areas in West Bengal comprising East Midnapore, North 24
Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Hooghly and Howrah as well
as Odisha were affected by the cyclone. It also caused significant
destruction in Bangladesh.

Movement of
amphan shown
with the help of
map
Amphan made landfall near Bakkhali in West Bengal at 2:30 p.m. IST on
20 May, buffeting the region with strong winds and heavy rains. Although
the extent of fatalities was less than initially feared, the cyclone's effects
were nonetheless widespread and deadly. West Bengal, the epicenter of
the cyclone's landfall, saw the most widespread damage from Amphan.
The storm was considered the strongest to hit the region in over a
decade. At least 86 people died in West Bengal; most of the fatalities
were due to electrocution or the collapse of homes. The state
government estimated that the storm caused at least ₹1.02 trillion
(US$13.5 billion) in damage and directly affected 70 percent of the
state's population. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the
storm's effects there as worse than that of COVID-19. An
estimated storm surge of 5 m (16 ft) inundated a wide swath of coastal
communities and communications were severed. The greatest
inundations were expected in the Sundarbans, where flooding could
extend 15 km (9.3 mi) inland. Embankments in the region were
overtaken by the surge, leading to inundation of the islands in the
Sundarbans. Bridges linking islands to the Indian mainland were swept
away. The cyclone produced sustained winds of 112 km/h (70 mph) and
gusts to 190 km/h (120 mph), which were recorded by the Alipore
observatory, Kolkata, West Bengal, damaging homes and uprooting
trees and electric poles. Wind speed along coastal areas were measured
up to 150–160 km/h (93–99 mph). In Canning a wind speed of 157 km/h
(98 mph) with gusting up to 185 km/h (115 mph) was recorded, while
nearby nimpith and Sagar Island observed 155 km/h (96 mph) and
111 km/h (69 mph) wind speed.  The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
International Airport recorded wind speeds up to 133 km/h (83 mph) .
In average, Kolkata and its surrounding recorded highest wind speed of
110–130 km/h at 7-8 PM night and rainfall between 220 and 240 mm
was recorded in Kolkata and its surroundings on 20 May 2020.  This
overturned vehicles and snapped approximately 10,000 trees.  The
Calcutta Municipal Corporation stated that Amphan toppled over
4,000 electric poles, leaving much of the city without power for over
14 hours. At least 19 people were killed in Kolkata. The storm also
triggered widespread flooding around the city. 236 mm of rain was
recorded in Kolkata. A considerable rise in SST (>32 °C) in the southern
Bay of Bengal contributed to the formation of super cyclone Amphan.
Effects of Cyclone Amphan in India
The effects of Cyclone Amphan in India were extensive and
historic. Cyclone Amphan was the costliest tropical cyclone ever recorded
in the North Indian Ocean, and the strongest cyclone ever since the 1999
Odisha Cyclone. It was the first storm, and strongest of the historic 2020
North Indian Ocean cyclone season, the costliest recorded cyclone
season. It made landfall in West Bengal with 100 mph winds. Within India,
the storm killed 98 people, and caused $13.8 billion (2020 USD). Amphan
produced extremely high winds that ripped roofs off houses and uprooted
trees, and storm surges of 15 ft (4.6 m) in areas like Digha, West Bengal.

Effect on sundarbans
Amphan near peak intensity over the Bay of Bengal on May 18

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chairing a high-level meeting to

review the response measures against cyclone Amphan, in New
Delhi on May 18, 2020
 Amphan shortly after being classified
as a depression on16 May

Amphan approaching East India and Bangladesh on

19 May
 Damage from Cyclone Amphan in Kolkata

Satellite image of Amphan making landfall on West

Bengal on 20 May
 Movement of amphan shown
with the help of map.

Due to Amphan a tree fall over a bus causing great

damage.