Amphan Cyclone - Formation, Timeline, Causes, Preparation for Cyclone Amphan, Effects & More

Super tropical cyclone Amphan made its way out of the Bay of Bengal in May 2020. Since the cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999, it is thought to be the first super cyclonic storm to hit the Bay of Bengal. It is a component of the season for cyclones in the North Indian Ocean. The Amphan Cyclone was regarded as a “very violent cyclonic storm” that struck Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a ₹10 billion immediate relief package for West Bengal and ₹5 billion relief for Odisha.

In this article, we shall discuss Cyclone Amphan for the UPSC IAS exam in detail, which is also a significant part of the GS paper-1 syllabus.

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What is Amphan Cyclone?

Amphan Cyclone was an extremely powerful and destructive tropical cyclone. It struck eastern India and Bangladesh in May 2020. It was the strongest tropical cyclone to strike the Ganges Delta since the 1999 Odisha cyclone. It is the fourth supercyclone to hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 2015.Image Source: PIB

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Why is the Cyclone named Amphan?

• The World Meteorological Organization/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific compiled a list of names that countries submitted, and “Amphan” was one of those names.
• The panel that India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Oman, and Thailand choose the names of cyclones in a certain area.
• Periodically, the countries will choose names from a pool of submitted cyclone names.
• The last name on the current list before a new one starts is “Amphan.”
• Thailand gave the name Amphan, pronounced “Um-pun,” to the country in 2004. Amphan means sky.

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Amphan and Important Regions 

Some of the important regions of the Amphan cyclone are listed in the table below.

Amphan and Important Regions
Bangladesh	Odisha	West Bengal
Hatiya Island	Paradip Coast Bhadrak Jagatsinghpur Kendrapara Balasore	East Midnapore, South 24-Parganas and North 24-Parganas Digha Island Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Trust (SPMPT) Howrah Hooghly Kolkata of Gangetic West Bengal

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Formation of the Amphan Cyclone

A low-pressure region formed over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the South Andaman Sea on May 13, 2023. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts it could develop into a cyclone by May 16. The low-pressure area is expected to move to the core regions of the southern Bay of Bengal by May 15 and become a depression. It is then expected to move northwest before veering northeast. IMD has not yet released any information about a potential cyclone landfall in India or elsewhere. Another low-pressure system has developed in the region in the past two weeks. However, this system did not strengthen and eventually dissipated. IMD has said that this was due to a severe vertical shear, a change in winds from the surface to the upper atmosphere that prevents cyclones from forming.

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Timeline of Amphan Cyclone

Here is a timeline of the Amphan Cyclone:

• May 13, 2020: A low-pressure area forms over the southeastern Bay of Bengal and the South Andaman Sea.
• May 16, 2020: The low-pressure area develops into a depression. It is designated BOB 01 by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
• May 17, 2020: The depression intensifies into a cyclonic storm and is named Amphan by the IMD.
• May 18, 2020: Amphan intensifies into a severe cyclonic storm and then into a very severe cyclonic storm.
• May 19, 2020: Amphan intensifies into an extremely severe cyclonic storm. It is the highest category of cyclonic storms in the Indian subcontinent.
• May 20, 2020: Amphan makes landfall near Digha, West Bengal, India, with winds of 155 km/h (96 mph). The cyclone then weakens as it crosses West Bengal and Bangladesh, but it still causes widespread damage.
• May 21, 2020: Amphan dissipates over the North Bay of Bengal.

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Causes of Amphan Cyclone

The Amphan Cyclone was caused by a combination of factors, including:

• Warm sea surface temperatures: The Bay of Bengal was experiencing abnormally warm sea surface temperatures at the time of the cyclone. This provided the energy that the cyclone needed to form and intensify.
• Favorable atmospheric conditions: The upper atmosphere was also favorable for the development of a cyclone. There was low wind shear and a weak vertical wind profile. This allowed the cyclone to maintain its structure and intensify.
• Low-level convergence: There was also low-level convergence, which is the coming together of winds from different directions. This convergence helped to concentrate the energy in the cyclone and to further intensify it.

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Preparation for Cyclone Amphan

• The chief ministers of Odisha and Bengal reviewed the evacuation procedures.
• Power supply in the areas along the cyclone's path was cut off, except for critical locations like hospitals and fire stations, on the day of impact.
• National Disaster Management Authority and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams were positioned in Odisha and West Bengal to assist with Amphan preparations.
• Additional units were on standby and could be airlifted to affected areas if needed.
• Due to the ongoing pandemic, PPE and N95 masks were made mandatory for first responders.
• The Indian Navy sent a diving team and alerted navy ships for relief operations in Kolkata.
• Fishermen were warned to suspend fishing operations from May 18 to May 20.
• Traffic on roads and railways was diverted or suspended.
• People in impacted areas were advised to stay indoors.
• Evacuation plans were prepared for low-lying areas.
• Small boats and motorboats were not recommended.

Also, check out the article on Cyclone Fani with this link!

Effects of Amphan Cyclone

• The Amphan Cyclone resulted in widespread devastation in West Bengal, affecting districts such as east Medinipur, south & north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogli, and Kolkata.
• Both poorly maintained Pucca constructions and kutcha dwellings suffered significant damage.
• There was a risk of flying objects causing harm.
• Power and communication poles were extensively uprooted, and rail/road connections were disrupted.
• Standing crops, plantations, and orchards suffered extensive damage.
• Palm and coconut trees were destroyed, and tall, tangled trees were uprooted.
• The strong winds even pulled huge ships and boats from their moorings.

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Amphan Cyclone: Major Facts For UPSC

The relevant information regarding the Amphan cyclone as it relates to current events for the UPSC exam is provided below.

• Amphan began as a tropical storm over the Bay of Bengal and later developed into a “Very Severe Cyclonic Storm” (VSCS) and an “Extreme Severe Cyclonic Storm” (ESCS).
• On May 20, it made landfall somewhere between the Hathiya Islands in Bangladesh and Digha in West Bengal.
• The cyclone’s name, Amphan, which is pronounced “UM-PUN,” was given by Thailand.
• The areas hit by the heavy rains included East Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, and West Midnapore.
• After Amphan made landfall, the North Odisha Coast was worst affected by 110–120 mph winds.
• The amphan cyclone speed wind could reach up to 230-265 mph.
• Cyclone Amphan was tracked using the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) near Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
• Amphan is thought to be the strongest tropical storm to have hit the coast, surpassing the Phailin typhoon that struck the Bengal-Odisha coast in 2013.
• Amphan traveled toward West Bengal and Bangladesh when it made landfall as a powerful storm at Sagar Island in West Bengal and the Island of Hatiya in Bangladesh.
• The Disaster Management Act 2005 created the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), a specialised body.
•  Amphan was being monitored concurrently by the National Crisis Monitoring Committee (Constituted by the Government of India to meet the exigencies of natural calamities.) Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) and Indian Meteorological Committee (IMD)
• One of the other Indian States impacted by the Amphan cyclone was Kerala.

Check out the article on Cyclones in India 2021 with this link!

UPSC Mains Previous Year Question

Q1. Tropical cyclones are largely confined to the South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of Mexico. Why? (UPSC 2015)

Q2. The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are tropical cyclones named across the world? (UPSC 2013)

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