Over the Bay of Bengal, cyclone Yaas is emerging.
LIVE updates on Cyclone Yaas: The governments of Bengal and Odisha are on high alert as cyclonic storm Yaas approaches from the Bay of Bengal and is expected to hit the coast late Wednesday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that the cyclone is expected to make landfall between Paradip, Odisha, and the Sagar Islands, West Bengal, on May 26 evening after intensifying into a “very strong cyclonic storm” with wind speeds ranging from 155 to 165 kmph, with gusts up to 185 kmph. It will begin to rain heavily in coastal areas on Tuesday.
Yaas is predicted to be as strong as Cyclone Tauktae, which hit the west coast last week, but less so than Cyclone Amphan, which hit Bengal exactly one year ago and had sustained wind speeds of 240 kmph for around three minutes. At least 80 people were killed.
The National Disaster Response Force, or NDRF, as well as the military and the Coast Guard, have been called into action in both states.
The state has ordered the evacuation of residents from low-lying areas such as Digha in East Medinipur’s coastal district, which borders West Medinipur and Jhargram.
Flooding is also a problem in the Sunderbans of North and South 24 Parganas. Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly are all on high alert.
