New Delhi — Cyclone Amphan, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal, barrelled into India’s eastern coastline on Wednesday. As the powerful storm made landfall in neighboring India, Bangladesh reported its first death: The Bangladesh Red Crescent said a volunteer drowned when their boat capsized as they raced to evacuate villagers from a coastal community.
Heavy rain and high winds started lashing India’s West Bengal and Odisha states Tuesday night as the cyclone approached. By Wednesday morning sustained wind speeds had picked back up to over 100 miles per hour, and a storm surge was predicted to reach as high as 16 feet.