Bhubaneswar, May 17: Odisha geared up to prepare for cyclonic storm Amphan, which currently lies close to Paradip and is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by May 18. Special Relief Commissioner in Odisha said that the District Administration of vulnerable districts have been asked to keep multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters ready as cyclone threat looms over the state. The official has also asked authorities to identify other suitable reinforced cement concrete roofed public buildings for use as safe shelters in case of requirement. Cyclone Amphan Forecast and Tracker: Severe Cyclonic Storm to Turn Worse by May 20, Check Day-Wise Movement Till Landfall.

A total of 20 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force, 17 teams of National Disaster Response Force and 335 units of Fire and Disaster Management have been kept ready in Odisha. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), Odisha said that 10 NDRF teams & 15 ODRAF units have also been pre-positioned in 6 coastal &4 nearby districts in the state.

On Saturday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had directed the officials to ensure that every life is saved as a cyclonic storm is likely to affect the coastal districts of the state. The state government predicts that around seven lakh people in 649 villages along the sea coast are likely to be severely affected due to the cyclone Amphan.

Take a Look at the Tweets:

According to a latest update by India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Amphan cyclone lies over South Bay of Bengal, about 930 km south of Paradip in Odisha. Amphan will intensify further into an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) during next 24 hours. The IMD said Amphan will cross West Bengal, Bangladesh coasts between Digha in West Bengal & Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh on the evening of May 20.

Here's the tweet by IMD:

Amphan has intensified into severe cyclonic storm over Bay of Bengal and will turn dangerous in the coming days until it makes a landfall on the West Bengal coast on May 20. It will intensify into very severe cyclonic storm by May 18 and is believed to intensify further into "severe cyclonic storm" and then into extremely severe cyclonic storm on May 19.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 17, 2020 10:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).