Evacuation Continues as Cyclone Yaas to Cross Odisha-West Bengal

Cyclone Yaas is going to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours, India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted.

It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours, IMD said in its bulletin.

Cyclone Yaas would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach northwest Bay of Bengal near North Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning, the bulletin said.

“The severe cyclonic storm Yaas over east-central Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 9 kmph during past six hours and lay centred at 9 UTC of May 24 over east-central Bay of Bengal,” the IMD bulletin said.

The cyclone is expected to cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Islands around Balasore, during noon on Wednesday (May 26) as a “Very Severe Cyclonic Storm”. The maximum sustained wind speed is 55 knots gusting to 65 knots around system centre. The condition on the bay is rough to very rough, the bulletin stated.

On Monday, the met department said the cyclonic storm is very likely to make landfall near Balasore in Odisha with wind speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, around noon on Wednesday.

2 million people evacuated in India

Nearly two million people have been evacuated due to cyclone Yaas just a week after another huge storm left at least 155 dead on the west coast, NDTV reports.

According to experts, the warming of ocean waters due to climate change has been leading to a rise in the frequency and intensity of such cyclones.

Seaports in Bangladesh asked to hoist signal no. 2

A special bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that the cyclone is centred at 12:00pm today about 565 kms southwest of Chattogram port, 525 kms southwest of Cox’s Bazar, 455 kms south-southwest of Mongla port and 445 kms south-southwest of Payra port.

The coastal districts — Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barishal, Bhola, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur and Chattogram and their offshore islands and chars are likely to witness wind speed up to 80-100 kph in gusts or squalls with heavy to very heavy falls when the storm will batter the areas.

The low-lying areas of the coastal districts are likely to be flooded by 2-4 feet height above normal tide.