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

Extreme weather has devastated the Bay of Bengal. Super-cyclone Amphan crashed into the coasts of Bangladesh and eastern India on 20th May. It brought heavy rain and serious flooding.

Both countries managed to evacuate millions of people before the cyclone hit but coronavirus made the evacuations difficult. Social-distancing rules meant shelters couldn't be completely full. Many people refused to leave their homes because they feared catching coronavirus in a shelter. The Indian Navy was ready to help people affected by the cyclone.

In Bangladesh, thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed and many villages are entirely under water. One of the worst affected areas was the Sunderbans, swampy islands with a population of over four million. The storm has cut the area off from the mainland. Government reports warn it’s too early to say how many people have died in the region.

Tropical cyclones happen when currents cause warm air above the ocean to rise. They begin as a group of storms, but as the Earth rotates, the winds start to spin around.

Cyclone Amphan was incredibly powerful - the worst in the Bay of Bengal in over a decade. However, environmentalists expect these tropical storms to increase in frequency due to climate change. Global warming makes extreme weather more likely, and the damage from each storm affects the region for years.

The long-term effects are more damaging than the initial impact of the storm. Tidal flooding covers the land in sea water and it can’t be farmed for several months. Communities have started a massive clean-up effort, but it will take time for the area to recover.