According to the India Meteorological Department, Cyclone Yaas (pronounced Yass) intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over eastcentral Bay of Bengal on Monday night.
Yaas was about 390 kilometres south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 490 kilometres south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha), 470 kilometres south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal), and 500 kilometres south-southwest of Khepupara at 11.30 p.m. on Monday (Bangladesh).
It is expected to move north-northwestwards over the next few hours, intensifying into a severe cyclonic storm. By Wednesday morning, it would be moving north-northwestwards, intensifying further, and reaching the northwest Bay of Bengal near the coasts of north Odisha and West Bengal. As a very severe cyclonic storm, it is very likely to cross the north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around Balasore on Wednesday noon.
Initially, IMD had said Yass would make landfall around Wednesday evening but advanced the time of landfall on Monday. “At the time of landfall, we are expecting wind speed to be around 155 to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph. Once Yaas intensifies to a Severe Cyclone we are also expecting its sea travel to be faster which is why the landfall time has been advanced,” said Sunitha Devi, in charge, cyclones at IMD.
Despite the fact that the oceanic and atmospheric conditions over the Bay of Bengal are ideal for Yaas to intensify, experts believe it will not become an extremely severe cyclone because Yaas formed close to the coast and has less time over the unusually warm ocean.
On May 26, extensive damage is expected along the coasts of north Odisha and West Bengal. There could be total destruction of thatched houses and extensive damage to kutcha houses; some damage to pucca houses; potential threat from flying objects; bending or uprooting of power and communication poles; flooding of escape routes; disruption of railways, overhead power lines, and signalling systems; widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, and orchards; falling coconuts and tearing of coconuts; disruption of railways, overhead power lines, and signalling systems; widespread damage to standing crops, plantations.
Light to direct precipitation at numerous spots with hefty falls at separated spots over waterfront Odisha is likely on Monday with substantial to exceptionally weighty precipitation over Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore regions and hefty over Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj regions on May 25, substantial to hefty downpours at a couple of spots with amazingly hefty downpour (more than 20 cm) at segregated places in Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar and weighty falls at detached spots in Puri, Khurda, Angul, Deogarh, Sundergarh on May 26.
Over West Bengal and Sikkim, light to direct precipitation is likely all things considered spots with hefty falls at confined spots over beach front regions of West Bengal on Monday. Weighty to substantial precipitation is likely over Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and hefty precipitation at detached places in Howrah, Hooghly, North 24 Parganas on May 25, amazingly substantial precipitation (more than 20 cm) is likely at separated places over Jhargram, Medinipur, south 24 Parganas and substantial to hefty precipitation at a couple of spots over Purulia, Bankura, Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata , north 24 Parganas, Bhirbhum, Nadia, Murshidabad, Darjeeling locale on May 26. Hefty to extremely substantial downpour is likely at separated places over Malda, Darjeeling, Dinajpur, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Sikkim, Bankura, Purulia, Bardhaman, Bhirbhum and Murshidabad on May 27.
