Cyclone Amphan

Cyclone Amphan
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) · Public domain · source
Name	Amphan
Basin	North Indian Ocean
Year	2020
Type	Tropical cyclone
Formation	16 May 2020
Dissipated	21 May 2020
1-min winds	150
3-min winds	120
Pressure	925
Fatalities	128+
Damages	13500000000
Areas	India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand

Cyclone Amphan was a powerful and catastrophic tropical cyclone in the North Indian Ocean during May 2020 that produced extreme winds, storm surge, and flooding across the Bay of Bengal. Forming from a low-pressure area near the Andaman Sea, it intensified rapidly and struck the densely populated Sundarbans region and the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, causing widespread destruction, casualties, and major disruptions to infrastructure. Amphan coincided with the global COVID-19 pandemic, complicating disaster management and humanitarian responses involving multiple national and international agencies.

Meteorological history

A tropical disturbance east of the Bay of Bengal consolidated into a depression on 16 May 2020, influenced by a strong monsoon trough and warm sea surface temperature anomalies near the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Rapid intensification occurred as the system moved northwestward under low vertical wind shear, reaching equivalent Category 5 strength on the Saffir–Simpson scale according to some agencies; the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) recorded peak sustained winds and a minimum central pressure near 925 hPa. The cyclone tracked toward the Hooghly River mouth, undergoing an eyewall replacement cycle shortly before landfall. Landfall occurred near the border of West Bengal and Bangladesh on 20 May 2020, after which the system rapidly weakened over the Ganges–Brahmaputra delta and dissipated inland.

Preparations

Early warnings were issued by the India Meteorological Department, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, and the United States National Hurricane Center via JTWC advisories, prompting large-scale evacuations from low-lying islands and coastal districts such as Kolkata, Khulna Division, and the Sunderbans mangrove area. Authorities mobilized personnel from the Indian Navy, the Indian Air Force, the Indian Coast Guard, and state disaster response forces like the National Disaster Response Force (India) and the Bangladesh Armed Forces to assist with evacuations and relief staging. International organizations including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies coordinated with national societies such as the Indian Red Cross Society and the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society to preposition supplies and plan shelters while attempting to enforce social distancing measures because of the World Health Organization guidance during the pandemic.

Impact

The cyclone produced catastrophic storm surge that inundated coastal districts in West Bengal and Khulna Division, damaging urban and rural infrastructure in cities like Kolkata, Howrah, and towns on the Sundarbans islands. Wind damage felled transmission lines owned by entities such as Power Grid Corporation of India and disrupted services from providers including BSES Rajdhani Power Limited and CESC Limited; major port operations at Kolkata Port and Haldia Port were affected. Agricultural losses hit crops across districts including South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, while aquaculture and fisheries in Chittagong Division experienced severe setbacks. Casualties were reported in both India and Bangladesh, with hospitals such as Sundarbans Hospital and the Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata receiving large numbers of injured and displaced patients amid ongoing COVID-19 case management. Transportation infrastructure including stretches of the National Highway 16 and regional rail corridors suffered flooding and wind-related damage.

Aftermath and recovery

Emergency relief operations involved agencies such as the Ministry of Home Affairs (India), the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (Bangladesh), and non-governmental organizations including Oxfam, CARE International, and Save the Children. Rapid needs assessments by teams from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank informed reconstruction funding and emergency loans, while the Indian government announced state and central compensation packages and reconstruction plans for housing and power restoration. International assistance and bilateral offers came from countries such as United Kingdom, United States, and Australia in the form of grants, technical support, and supplies. Long-term recovery prioritized rebuilding resilient infrastructure, restoring mangrove buffers in the Sundarbans National Park and replanting coastal vegetation with involvement from groups like WWF and IUCN.

Analysis and records

Post-storm analyses by the India Meteorological Department, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, and academic institutions including the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology examined Amphan's rapid intensification amid anomalously high Bay of Bengal sea surface temperatures and suppressed wind shear. Climate researchers from institutions such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and CSIR assessed the role of anthropogenic warming in increasing the odds of extreme cyclones in the region, referencing studies published in journals like Nature Climate Change and Geophysical Research Letters. Amphan became one of the strongest cyclones recorded in the Bay of Bengal in the satellite era, drawing comparisons to cyclones such as Bhola cyclone (1970), Cyclone Sidr, and Cyclone Nargis in terms of intensity and humanitarian impact.

Environmental and economic effects

The cyclone caused extensive ecological damage to the Sundarbans mangrove ecosystem, affecting species managed by conservation organizations including IUCN and WWF-India and threatening habitat for the Bengal tiger and migratory bird populations monitored by institutions like the Bombay Natural History Society. Saltwater intrusion degraded agricultural land in districts across West Bengal and Khulna and impacted aquaculture operations tied to export markets via entities such as the Kolkata Port Trust and Bangladesh Fisheries Development Corporation. Economic losses estimated by the Reserve Bank of India and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics affected sectors including power, transport, agriculture, and fisheries, prompting policy discussions in forums like the Planning Commission of India and multilateral lenders such as the Asian Development Bank about building resilience and financing adaptive infrastructure.

Category:North Indian Ocean tropical cyclones