India
Cyclone Yaas Live Updates: Lakhs Evacuated In Bengal, Odisha Ahead Of Cyclone Yaas Landfall
Authorities have been moving people from low-lying coastal areas ahead of the cyclone’s landfall
Cyclone Yaas has begun the landfall process, the India Meteorological Department said at 9 am. The location of the landfall is north of Dhamra and south of Bahanaga, close to Bahanaga block, on the coast, around 50 km of Balasore, an official said. The wind speed during landfall was at 130-140 kmph, gusting to 155 kmph, as per Doppler radar data.
“The landfall process has begun and will take three-four hours to complete. The maximum impact will be in Balasore and Bhadrak districts,” Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena said. Around 5.80 lakh people have been shifted to safe shelters, he said
Visuals from Bengal’s Digha and South 24 Paraganas districts, and Odisha’s Kendrapara showed strong winds and waves, with some coastal areas already flooded and people wading through knee-deep water on roads along the sea front.
Over 11.5 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable places in West Bengal in view of the impending cyclone Yaas, informed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The Odisha government said it has moved over 2 lakh people from vulnerable areas in coastal districts to safety.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) earlier predicted that the wind speed during the landfall would be around 155-165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph. The landfall process was delayed for some hours with the system’s velocity decreasing to 12 kmph from 15-16 kmph, Mr Jena said. The cyclone did not intensify any further after 2 am, he said.
Here are the Live Updates on Cyclone Yaas:
West Bengal expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall today. Jharkhand will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today & tomorrow with extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places: IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra#CycloneYaas
– ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
Cyclone Yaas makes landfall between Dhamra and Balasore. Trees uprooted in Dhamra in Bhadrak district on Odisha. Inundation has been reported from some areas, forces on standby for restoration work. The Odisha government warns people to stay indoors, says landfall not completed yet.
Flights from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between Mumbai to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata have been cancelled.
Approximately 6 flights, consisting 3 arrivals and 3 departures, have been cancelled so far.
Flights to other regions continue to operate on schedule. Passengers are requested to contact their respective airlines to check the schedule in advance.
The Met department has warned of tidal waves of two-four metres height above astronomical tide to inundate low-lying coastal areas of East Midnapore, and of two metres above astronomical tide in low-lying areas of South 24 Parganas.
Most parts of Odisha also received rains, said Umashankar Dash, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar.
Chandbali in Bhadrak district received 273 mm rainfall, the highest amount of rainfall in the last 24 hours in the state, followed by Paradip (197 mm), Balasore (51 mm) Bhubaneswar (49 mm).
Landfall process is continuing. It will take around 3 hours to complete. 30 km south-southeast of Balasore at 0930 hours IST.
– India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
Ahead of the predicted landfall of the “very severe cyclonic storm” Yaas on the north Odisha-West Bengal coast on Wednesday aftenoon, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spent the night in state secretariat, Nabanna reviewing preparations and monitoring the situation on ground.
The state government has set up a round-the-clock control room in the secretariat annexe to monitor the situation.
As a precaution, Kolkata airport has closed for operations from 8.30 am to 7.45 pm and no flights will be operating to or from Kolkata, officials said.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Water from the sea enters residential areas along New Digha Sea Beach in East Midnapore.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas centred about 50 km South-Southeast of Balasore (Odisha). Landfall process has commenced around 9 am, says IMD. #CycloneYaaspic.twitter.com/8m667Py8Ec
– ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
“INS Chilka at Khurda has stepped up and made all necessary arrangements, to coordinate the rescue and relief operations in close liaison with State Government agencies with the support of Headquarters Eastern Naval Command Visakhapatnam,” informed an official release by Indian Navy
The Navy said that it has been closely monitoring the very severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas closing in on the Eastern Coast which is likely to cross the between Badrak and Balasore districts on 26 May.
As part of the preparation, a 24*7 cyclone monitoring team has been established and is functional from 24 May, assorted relief material and community kitchen for thousands of people are being made ready for immediate deployment in consultation with state authorities.
The Naval Officer-in-Charge (Odisha) Operations Room has been monitoring ships movement along the coast in coordination with authorities at Gopalpur, Paradip and Damara ports.
Odisha: Relief material for #CycloneYaas affected people being provided by Indian Navy. INS Chilka at Khurda has made all necessary arrangements, to coordinate the operations in close liasion with State Govt agencies with the support of HQ Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam. pic.twitter.com/t7BvqHMN4x
– ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
In view of the impending landfall of Cyclone Yaas, light to moderate rainfall are expected at most places in Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, informed India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The MeT department has also predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these states.
“Light to moderate rainfall expected at most places with heavy to very heavy rains at few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, and Keonjhargarh today,” IMD said.
#WATCH | Odisha: Paradeep experiences strong winds & heavy rainfall#CycloneYaas lay centred over northwest Bay of Bengal, about 40 km east of Dhamra (Odisha), 90 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) & 90 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha), as per IMD update at 6:45 am pic.twitter.com/41jEByvn2b
– ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
We are expecting ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ #CycloneYaas to make landfall by noon today with wind speed of 130-140 kmph gusting 155 kmph: Umashankar Das, senior scientist at IMD Bhubaneswar#Odishapic.twitter.com/gEyY2seDnv
– ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
