Cyclone Amphan Slams India and Bangladesh- NYT

An alarm went through eastern India and Bangladesh about an incoming dreaded cyclone. It tore apart homes and took several lives.

Meteorologists were calling the cyclone, Amphan, one of the most dangerous storms in decades. “And preparations for it were complicated by the fact that the cyclone hit in the middle of pandemic, with both India and Bangladesh locked down and experiencing an alarming rise in coronavirus infections”, reported the NYT.

Despite the complications of rushing into packed emergency shelters, three million people were evacuated along with 520, 997 animals. Many were worried that the cyclone will adversely affect the one million Rohingya refugees stuck in muddy camps in coastal Bangladesh. The cyclone waves skirted from the area precipitating heavily.

Indian and Bangladesh authorities have managed to lessen the wrath of the cyclone through building hundreds of new emergency shelters. Information dissemination has also been swift. The NYT said, “Last year, Indian officials moved more than a million people out of harm’s way when another cyclone was bearing down.”

The cyclone, it is reported made landfall around 4 p.m. near the Indian town of Digha, on the eastern coast, with wind speeds between 80 and 100 miles per hour.

The cause of the cyclone Amphan is attributed to natural variability. But scientists have raised concern over climate change induced increase in ocean temperatures for the build up of the cyclone . And as the world warms we will witness the increase in strength of storms.

(At Karvaan India we bring you coverage from the best of international publications around the globe. Many of the reputed media organisations and journals are behind a paywall that not everyone can afford. We review/summarise important pieces from these publications for our readers. However, reading the summary/ review can never be a substitute to an original article, therefore we encourage our readers always to prioritise original writing over a summary.)

Link to the original article-

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/world/asia/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh-map.html