He said in a press briefing that Amfan has turned into a severe cyclonic storm and may be knocking between Digha Island in West Bengal and Hatia Archipelago of Bangladesh on 20 May.

During this time, the speed of winds can be 165 to 175 kmph, which can reach 195 kmph.

Mahapatra said, ‘As its severe cyclonic storm will turn north-northwest direction in the Bay of North West Bengal in the afternoon or evening of May 20 and in the west between Digha (West Bengal) and Hatia (Bangladesh) Islands There is great potential to cross the Bengal-Bangladesh coastal areas.

He said that the coastal districts of West Bengal will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on May 19 and 20. These districts are East Midnapore, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata.

During the knocking of the storm, stormy waves of about four to six meters high from the sea may submerge the low lying areas of South and North 24 Parganas districts.

Coastal Odisha is also expected to receive light to moderate rainfall at many places on May 19. In north coastal Odisha, heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at some places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts and heavy rain at some places in Khoradha and Puri districts.

Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Keonjhar districts in northern Odisha may receive heavy rains at some places on May 20.