Cyclone Yaas: IMD’s latest satellite picture of Cyclone Yaas
Cyclone Yaas: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm Yaas, at around 5.30 AM on Monday morning, tweeted senior weather scientist KS Hosalikar. The first cyclonic storm of the year formed in the Bay of Bengal, is likely to hit north Odisha-West Bengal coast on 26th May, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has directed its rescue teams to ensure that the country’s major medical oxygen generation plants in Odisha and West Bengal are “running and alive” during Cyclone Yaas, news agency Press Trust of India, quoted a senior officer as saying on Monday.
Cyclone Yaas: Top 10 and news updates you need to know
- Position: In a tweet, the Met department said, Cyclone Yass is about ”630 kilometre south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and is likely to ”intensify further into SCS (severe cyclonic storm) during next 12 hours, and into a VSCS (very severe cyclonic storm) during subsequent 24 hours…”.
- Landfall: The cyclone is expected to ”cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts – between Paradip and Sagar Islands – around noon on 26th May”: IMD
- Storm surge warning: Tidal waves two-four meter above the normal are likely to inundate low lying coastal areas of Jhargram, south 24 Parganas, Medinipur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsighpur Districts around the time of landfall: IMD
- Wind Speed: When the cyclone crosses the coast, the wind speed is likely to be between ”155 – 165 km per hour with gustings of 185 km per hour”: IMD
- Warning for fishermen: Fishermen who are out in the deep sea in north and central Bay of Bengal have been advised to return to the mainland: IMD
- Alert for other areas: Strong winds – 40-50 km per hour – are very likely over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and Rayalaseema region on 26th May.
- NDRF deployment: The NDRF chief said, 99 teams have been dedicated for Cyclone Yaas. Out of these 52 teams are being deployed in Odisha, 35 in West Bengal, five in Tamil Nadu, three at Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. One team has been sent to Andaman and Nicobar Islands and four in Jharkhand.
- Home Minister takes stock: Amit Shah today reviewed the preparations for Cyclone Yaas with Chief Ministers and senior officers of Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
- Cyclone Yaas and Covid-19 facilities: Home Minister has asked States to ”make adequate power backup arrangements in all Covid-19 hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chains and other medical facilities”, according to a note released by the government.