Cyclone Amphan Weaker Now, But Can Still Wreak Havoc

The super cyclone Amphan, set to make a landfall soon, has now been downgraded to a very severe cyclonic storm which indicates that it is weakening. However, Amphan can still wreak a lot of havoc along the coastline.

Though Amphan has weakened it is barrelling towards the coastline of Bengal and Odisha at a speed of over 175 kmph. This means that it is powerful enough to disrupt electricity supply, uproot telephone lines and cause a lot of damage to lives and property along the coast.

The Amphan impact in itself poses a challenge to the state governments of Odisha and West Bengal. Added to this is the dimension of Coronavirus which is raging through the country currently.

Cyclones in Bay of Bengal

Cyclones in the Bay of Bengal are tropical cyclones and have a set pattern. Usually a tropical cyclone lasts 9-10 days during the course of which it passes through four stages.

The first of these is the initial or formative stage.

The developing stage is the one in which the cyclone is set to get stronger. Gales tend to form around the eye of the storm as it intensifies even further in the next stage or the mature stage. In this phase of the cyclone it moves over the sea.

Finally, The cyclone makes landfall in the fourth stage in which it dissipates. However, due to the fact that it is accompanied by heavy rainfall lasting over a day or more, it has the capacity to wreak havoc over a large land mass.

The most powerful cyclone in the Bay of Bengal was Bhola, ironically meaning innocent, in 1970. It claimed the lives of close to 5 lakh people as the tide in the sea rose beyond 10 m from the coast.

About 500 million people live along the coastline of the Bay of Bengal in some of the most densely populated countries of the world.