As Cyclone Yaas moves towards eastern coast, warning for these states

Cyclone Yaas, forecast to hit West Bengal and Odisha, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Authorities in India’s eastern coast were on alert ahead of a severe cyclone, Yaas, brewing in the Bay of Bengal on Monday, just 10 days after Cyclone Tauktae battered the country's western coast leaving a trail of death and destruction. Cyclone Yaas, forecast to hit West Bengal and Odisha, is expected to make landfall on Wednesday and could pack sustained winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Fishermen carry a boat to a safe place ahead of Cyclone Yaas at Puri beach in Odisha. (PTI Photo)

According to IMD’s National Weather Forecasting Centre, it lay centred at 8:30am on Monday over the east-central Bay of Bengal, about 620km north-northwest of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands, 530km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha, 630km south-southeast of Odisha’s Balasore and 620 km south-southeast of Digha in 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 26th May early morning. It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around noon of 26th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm,” it said.

The met department also issued warnings for several states as authorities braced for the second severe storm and are preparing to evacuate people to safer places at a time when the country is battling the world’s worst outbreak of Covid-19.

Here’s what it said about Cyclone Yaas and its effects:

Rainfall warning

North coastal Andhra Pradesh: According to the weather bureau, light to moderate rainfall will occur at many places with heavy falls at isolated places on May 24 and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on May 25.

Odisha: The eastern state will see light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at isolated places over the coastal areas on May 24, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore districts. There will be heavy rains over Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj districts on May 25 and heavy to very heavy rains at a few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Keonjhargarh and heavy falls at isolated places in Puri, Khurda, Angul, Deogarh, Sundergarh on May 26. The bureau said there will be heavy rainfall at isolated places in north interior Odisha on May 27.

West Bengal and Sikkim: In West Bengal, there will be light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall over Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and heavy rainfall at isolated places in Howrah, Hooghly, and North 24 Parganas districts on May 25. Extremely heavy rainfall has been forecast at isolated places over Jhargram, Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places Purulia, Bankura, Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, Bhirbhum and heavy falls at isolated places over Nadia, Murshidabad, Darjeeling Districts on May 26. There will be heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Malda, Darjeeling, Dinajpur, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Sikkim and heavy rain at a few places over Bankura, Purulia, Bardhaman, Bhirbhum and Murshidabad on May 27.

Jharkhand: The weather department has predicted light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places on May 26 and May 27 and isolated heavy falls on May 28.

Bihar: There will be light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places on May 27 and isolated heavy to very heavy falls on May 28.

Assam and Meghalaya: The northeastern states will see light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 26 and May 27.

Wind warning

Gale winds speed reaching 65-75kmph gusting to 85kmph prevailing over west-central adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal, IMD said. It is very likely to increase further becoming gale wind speed reaching 90-100kmph gusting to 110kmph over major parts of central Bay of Bengal by the evening of May 24 and would decrease gradually from May 25 afternoon, it added.

Squally wind speed reaching 40-50kmph gusting 60kmph is very likely over north Bay of Bengal and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal along and off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha–West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts from May 24 afternoon.

“It would increase gradually becoming 50-60kmph gusting to 70 kmph from 25th forenoon. It would further increase becoming gale wind speed 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph from 26th early hours over northwest Bay of Bengal and along and off West Bengal & north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts. It would gradually increase further becoming 90-100 gusting to 110 kmph from 26th morning and increase thereafter becoming 155-165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph at the time of landfall,” IMD said.

Squally wind speed reaching 40-50kmph gusting 60kmph is very likely to prevail over south Jharkhand from on May 26 afternoon and increase gradually becoming 110-120kmph gusting to 130kmph during May 26 evening or night.

Squally wind speed reaching 55-65kmph gusting to 75kmph likely over north interior districts of Odisha, interior districts of Gangetic West Bengal during May 26 evening to the morning of May 27. Squally wind speed reaching 50-60kmph gusting to 70kmph prevailing over the east-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea during the next 12 hours.

Sea condition

IMD said sea condition is high to very high over west-central and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal. “It is very likely to become Very High to Phenomenal over northern parts of central Bay of Bengal, north Bay of Bengal and along & off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha–West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts during 24th – 26th May,” the weather department forecast.

Warning to fishermen

Fishermen have been asked not to venture into the central Bay of Bengal during May 24 and May 25 and into the north Bay of Bengal and along and off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha-West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts from May 24 to May 26. “Those who are out in the Deep Sea of north and adjoining central Bay of Bengal are advised to return to the coast,” IMD said.

Storm surge warning

Tidal waves of the height of two to four metres above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying coastal areas of Jhargram, South 24 Parganas and Medinipur in West Bengal and Odisha’s Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur districts around the time of landfall. “The intensification & likely movement of the system is under continuous surveillance and the concerned state governments are being informed regularly,” it said.