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Red alert for east UP, Bihar, Bengal and Sikkim; heavy rains predicted
Cyclone Yaas, packing winds gusting to 145kmph pounded parts of India’s eastern coast on Wednesday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a red alert for eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim as it said the remnant of Cyclone Yaas has weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area over Bihar and adjoining east UP. The cyclone made landfall in Odisha on Wednesday morning and pounded West Bengal and Jharkhand bring heavy rains.
The weather bureau said will witness heavy rains, thunderstorm, lightning and strong surface winds and forecast the same for West Bengal and Sikkim. Bihar will witness heavy rains, thunderstorm, lightning, it said. “Depression (Remnant of Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “YAAS”) over Bihar & adjoining Jharkhand has weakened into a well-marked low pressure area lay over Bihar adjoining East UP at 0530 hrs IST of today the 28th May 2021,” IMD tweeted in the morning.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday reviewed the situation and damages caused by Cyclone Yaas in Odisha and held a meeting in Bhubaneswar as the state government demanded long term solutions to mitigate problems of repeated cyclones and provision of disaster resilient power systems. Odisha’s special relief commissioner (SRC) PK Jena told reporters after the meeting that the state government also sought no immediate funds to manage the expenditure incurred in disaster management.
The Prime Minister left for aerial survey to the worst cyclone affected areas of Balasore and Bdahrak in Odisha, on his way to West Bengal, after the review meeting, attended by Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, chief minister Naveen Patnaik, two ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi and senior officials.
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Meanwhile, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also conducted an aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas in North 24 Parganas and took stock of the situation in Hingalganj, Hasnabad, Sandeshkhali, Pinakha and other areas of the district. "I have seen that most of the areas have been inundated. Houses and large tracts of agricultural fields are under water. A field survey will also be conducted," Banerjee said, according to news agency PTI.
Several areas in Purba Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas bore the brunt of Cyclone Yaas as many places in these districts were whiplashed by heavy rains. Banerjee is also scheduled to undertake an aerial survey in cyclone-hit areas of South 24 Parganas and the coastal town of Digha in Purba Medinipur.
Cyclone Yaas, packing winds gusting to 145kmph pounded parts of India’s eastern coast on Wednesday, killing at least five people and leaving behind a trail of destruction in West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.
