Gepubliceerd op 20 mei 2020
The International Charter "Space and Major Disasters" (or Disaster Charter in short) initiated by ESA and CNBES in 1999. It is a non-binding charter which takes car of the acquisition and transmission of remote sensing data to relief charitable and humanitarian organizations in the event of major disasters. It is activated several times a month for everything ranging from floods over fires to earthquakes, especially when human lifes are in the balance.
Cyclone Amphan is expected to make landfall in India today, 20 May, on the coasts of India and Bangladesh between the Sagar Islands in West Bengal and the Hatiya Islands in Bangladesh.
The storm is currently Category Four on the Saffir-Simpson scale, but when it entered the Bay of Bengal on 18 May it was the strongest storm on record in the area and classified as a Super Cyclone. The storm had wind speeds of 270 kilometres per hour, but has since weakened to 200 kilometres per hour. The strong winds are expected to cause damage and the storm is forecast to bring heavy rain causing flooding. Storm surges of up to 4 metres are expected in some areas.