Cyclone Yaas Update: Likely To Cross Odisha-Bengal Coasts With Heavy Rains Over North-East States

Cyclone Yaas Update: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the cyclone is likely to thunder into the Odisha-Bengal coast on May 26. The covered areas are reported to be between Paradeep in Odisha and Sugar Island in West Bengal.

The news of the approaching cyclonic storm has got the governments of Bengal and Odisha on high alert. As reported by the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department on May 23, Yaas is to head to areas of Bengal and Odisha from the Bay of Bengal and likely to make its landfall late on the evening of May 26.

The IMD also said that Yaas will start intensifying into a very severe cyclonic storm with the wind speed ranging from 155 kmph to 165 kmph and could gust up to 185 kmph. The covered areas will start to experience heavy rain in the coastal areas from May 25 onwards.

Lighting and thunderstorms with heavy rain are also predicted over Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Andaman, and the Nicobar Islands and North-East states like Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura. The West Bengal state has ordered the evacuation of people from low-lying areas like Digha of the coastal district. The Sunderbans of North and South 24 Parganas are reported to be prone to severe flooding. Howrah, Hooghly and Kolkata are also on high alert.

In both states of Bengal and Odisha, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the military and the Coast Guard have been alerted and pressed into service. The armed forces have airlifted 950 NDRF personnel and have 26 helicopters on standby. Eastern Railways has also suspended 25 trains between May 24 and May 29 in view of the cyclone.

Cyclone Yaas is expected to be about as intense as Cyclone Tauktae which approached the west coast last week as caused many deaths and destruction. On the other hand, Yaas is predicted to be tamer than Cyclone Amphan which hit Bengal a year ago. About 80 people lost their lives in Cyclone Amphan which had a wind speed of a high 240 kmph.

PC: Outlook India/Cyclone Amphan