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An aerial view of cyclone Amphan affected areas in West Bengal, Friday, May 22, 2020.
An aerial view of cyclone Amphan affected areas in West Bengal, Friday, May 22, 2020.
The cyclone barrelled into the country's southern coasts from the Bay of Bengal on Wednesday and carved a trail of destruction as it moved inland at night generating strong winds and heavy rainfall.
At least 22 deaths have been reported from eight coastal districts in Bangladesh until Thursday noon as the storm tore down homes and foliage while ravaging the power supply. Initial government estimates put the figure of damage incurred by housing, infrastructure, fisheries and livestock, water resources and agriculture in Bangladesh at Tk 11 billion (€121 mln).
Bdnews24.com reported that in several districts in the west and south-west of the country, thousands of hectares of lands are used for the cultivation of mangoes. Primary data indicates the cyclone laid waste to 176,000 hectares of crop yields across the country, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said an online media briefing. The government estimates that the storm damaged 10 percent of the 7,384 hectares used to cultivate mangoes.
Comment: Another dead whale washed ashore on the 24th of May in Kendrapara, Odisha.
Off North America a humpback was found dead near Moriches Inlet, New York on May 22, a deceased gray whale was found at Seaview, Washington on the 20th while the same species also turned up dead off Santa Cruz, California on the same day.
Over the same week at Hines Bay in Australia a rare (for the region) Sei or fin whale was discovered dead on the 18th.