Super-cyclone Amphan hits the Bay of Bengal - 1st June 2020

The Bay of Bengal has once again been devastated by extreme weather. Super-cyclone Amphan crashed into the coast of Bangladesh and eastern India on 20th May bringing dangerous storm surges, tidal waves and heavy rain.

Due to predicted flood warnings, both countries had succeeded in evacuating millions of people before the cyclone hit. However, Covid-19 and social-distancing rules made the mass evacuations tricky as shelters were not able to be fully used. Many people also refused to leave their homes for fear of catching coronavirus in a shelter. The Indian Navy was put on high alert, ready to offer assistance to those affected by the cyclone.

Homes in Bangladesh have suffered partial or complete destruction in their thousands, with many low-lying villages left entirely submerged by the cyclone. The affected areas include the Sunderbans: swampy mangrove islands home to over four million people. Authorities state that it’s too early to estimate casualties in this region which is now cut-off from the mainland.

Tropical cyclones occur when convection currents cause warm, wet air above the ocean to rise. They start off as a group of hot water storms and the Earth’s rotation pushes the winds into a violent spiral. Cyclone Amphan was the most powerful storm to hit the Bay in more than a decade but environmentalists say the area is becoming increasingly prone to tropical storms owing to climate change. Global warming means this extreme weather is a more frequent occurrence and the destruction caused by each storm can be felt for many years to come.

What is even more damaging than the initial impact are the long-term effects of tidal flooding. Land becomes saturated with sea water and farming takes months to recover.

A massive clean-up effort has now begun but only time will allow these communities to rebuild their lives.