After the recent cyclone Tauktae on the west coast, another cyclone named Yaas (pronounced as Yass) is going to hit the east coast.
The present cyclone Yaas has been named by Oman. Yaas refers to a tree that has a good fragrance and in English, the word is similar to Jasmine.
According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) the cyclone Yaas centred on the Bay of Bengal around 5:30 A.M., today, the 24th of May. The deep depression over east central of the Bay of Bengal remained practically stationary and now intensified into the cyclonic storm ‘Yaas.’
The cyclone centred near latitude 16.3 degree north and longitude 89.7 degree east, about 600 km north northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands,) 540 km south southeast of Paradip (Odisha,) 650 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 630 km south southeast of Digha (West Bengal.)
The cyclonic storm, which is said to be more intense than last year’s cyclone Amphan is likely to move slowly towards northwest and then intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in the next 24 hours.
The IMD predicted, “The cyclone would continue to move north northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning.” The IMD officials further said, “It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around May 26 noon as a very severe cyclonic storm.”
The storm packs in winds with speeds ranging between 155 km per hour and 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph. As per the IMD sources, under the influence, the cyclone hit region and Western Himalayan Region would receive thunderstorms and lightning accompanied with isolated to fairly widespread rainfall. Besides, strong surface or dust raising winds (25 to 35 kmph wind speed) is likely to be witnessed in Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during the next three days, till the 27th of May.
In addition, the IMD issued a heavy rainfall warning for Andaman and Nicobar island, West Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
The IMD officials also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over north coastal Odisha on the 25th of May, Gangetic West Bengal on the 25th, 26th and the 27th of May, in Jharkhand on the 26th of May and Bihar on the 27th of May.
The respective state health department officials asked the fishermen not to venture into the southeast and east central Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and along and off Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In addition, those who are out in the deep sea of east central and adjoining northeast Bay of Bengal are advised to return to the coast.
Meanwhile, the Government of West Bengal, Government of Odisha and other states which are on alert are preparing for the evacuation of the people in the low side areas. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also scheduled to hold a meeting with the states to be affected by the cyclone named Yaas. The meeting would discuss the arrangements made by state governments to handle the situation after the cyclone make a landfall.
With this, it would be the second time in 1 year that Odisha and West Bengal would be hit by a severe cyclone. In 2020, Odisha and West Bengal were affected by Amphan, which damaged properties worth crores and affected lakhs of people.
