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Detailed explanation-1: -It was also the fourth super cyclone that hit West Bengal and Kolkata since 2015 as well as being one of the strongest storms to impact the area. Causing over US$13 billion of damage, Amphan is also the costliest cyclone ever recorded in the North Indian Ocean, surpassing the record held by Cyclone Nargis of 2008.

Detailed explanation-2: -’Amphan’ is a tropical cyclone named by Thailand. Pronounced as Um-pun, meaning sky, it is included in the category 5 of the Saffir-Simpson wind scale with a speed of 157 miles per hour or more. Formed as a depression in the Bay of Bengal, it later developed into a Super Cyclone.

Detailed explanation-3: -A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates from warm tropical oceans, characterised by low atmospheric pressure, high winds and heavy rainfall. The name of this cyclone is given by Thailand. Cyclone Sitarang comes after Cyclone Asani, which developed in the Bay of Bengal in early May this year.

Detailed explanation-4: -Apart from incurring significant damage over Odisha and Bangladesh, Cyclone Amphan caused extreme damage in West Bengal. The areas constantly in the news for the damages caused by Amphan were North 24 Parganas, East Midnapore, Kolkata, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Hooghly.

Detailed explanation-5: -Amphan took 40 hours after its formation to become a super cyclone. The main reason behind this was the high sea surface temperatures of 32-34 degrees celsius in the Bay of Bengal. General long-term warming of the Bay of Bengal was the leading cause of rapid intensification, according to experts.