NEW DELHI – A powerful cyclone began dumping rain on coastal India and Bangladesh early Wednesday as more than 2 million people were being moved to shelters before the storm hits land in the afternoon.
Cyclone Amphan slowed slightly as it reached cooler waters near the coast. But with wind speeds ranging between 160 and 170 kilometers per hour (100 and 105 miles per hour), the storm could cause extensive damage: winds and heavy rain battering flimsy houses, a storm surge that may push seawater 25 kilometers (15 miles) inland and the possibility of flooding in crowded cities like Kolkata.
Bangladesh is attempting to evacuate 2.2 million people to safety, officials said. Indian state West Bengal has been evacuating over 200,000 people