Cyclone Yaas weakens into a deep depression over Jharkhand

Jharkhand was put on high alert and a complete lockdown was imposed in some parts of the state to prevent people from venturing out as the authorities evacuated those staying in low-lying areas and shifted them to storm centres ahead of the Cyclone's expected arrival in the state.

After wreaking havoc in Odisha and West Bengal on Wednesday, Cyclone Yaas gradually weakened into a deep depression on Thursday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The cyclonic storm 'Yaas' weakened into a deep depression and lay centred at 2330 hours IST of the 26th May over south Jharkhand and adjoining north interior Odisha. Likely to move northwestwards and weaken gradually into a depression during next 12 hours," IMD posted on Twitter on the early morning of Thursday.

As many as 10,000 people were moved to safer zones from the low-lying areas of Jharkhand, an official said, (reuters/ via Instagram@rupamsarkar11)

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Jharkhand was put on high alert and a complete lockdown was imposed in some parts of the state to prevent people from venturing out as the authorities evacuated those staying in low-lying areas and shifted them to storm centres ahead of the Cyclone's expected arrival in the state. As many as 10,000 people were moved to safer zones, officials told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

"Operations are being executed on a war-footing in vulnerable areas in East and West Singhbhum, besides some other districts which are expected to be hit by the cyclonic storm Yaas," disaster management secretary Amitabh Kaushal said.

At least four people were killed due to the storm and it left behind a trail of destruction with damaged homes and flooded farmland in West Bengal and Odisha. In view of the storm, more than 21 lakh people had to be evacuated from danger zones in Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Yaas is the second cyclonic storm to hit the western coast of India within a week after Tauktae struck.