Cyclone Yaas expected to hit Odisha & West Bengal coast by May 26, likely to intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm in next 24 hours warns IMD

While the Western coast of India is still limping back to normal after the impact of devastating Cyclone Tauktae last week, IMD has issued fresh warning for another Severe Cyclonic Storm “Yaas” advancing from Bay of Bengal towards the East coast. Cyclonic storms are not new for the coastal belt of Odisha, but the aftermaths of Cyclone Amphan which wreaked havoc in West Bengal in a year back is still fresh in the minds of people. While Amphan was a Category 5 cyclone, predictions by weather models peg that Yaas will at least be a category 3 storm, with the potential to escalate to a category 4, even though it’s likely to have a shorter lifespan than Amphan. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Yaas is likely to hit the Indian coast between Paradeep in Odisha and the southern coast of West Bengal.

As per the Press Release issued by IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) today, depression over East Central Bay of Bengal (BoB) moved west-north-westwards and intensified into a deep depression over the same region in the midnight (2330 hrs IST of 23^rd May). Thereafter, it moved slowly north-north-westwards and intensified into the cyclonic storm “YAAS” over eastcentral BoB in the early morning (0530 hrs IST) of today, the 24^th May, 2021. It lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 24^th May, 2021 over East Central Bay of Bengal near latitude 16.4°N and longitude 89.6°E, about 620 km north-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 530 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 630 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 620 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal). It is very likely to move north-north-westwards, intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours. It would continue to move north-north-westwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by 26^th May early morning. It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around noon of 26^th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. Tidal waves of height 2-4 meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying coastal areas.

Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah held a review meeting, through video conferencing today, with the Chief Ministers of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and the Lt. Governor of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, to assess their preparedness and that of Central Ministries and agencies concerned, to deal with the situation arising out of Cyclone ‘Yaas’. As practiced by Odisha, volunteers, such as Home Guards, NCC and civil defence may also be mobilized in helping in the evacuation of people, Shri Amit Shah said.

The IMD predicts that wind speeds with Yaas will reach a maximum of 155-165 kilometres per hour on May 26, with gusts speeding up to 180 kilometres per hour.