20 Lakh Evacuated, Rushed To Shelters As India Braces For Another Cyclone

Cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal is expected to slam into Bengal and Odisha around midday tomorrow, the weather office said, and could bring winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour.

A powerful cyclone headed for India's east coast Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearly two million people just a week after another huge storm claimed at least 155 lives on the west coast. Cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal is expected to slam into West Bengal and Odisha around midday on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department said, and could bring winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour. Experts say the warming of ocean waters due to climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of such storms. Nearly two million people living along the east coast are being moved to shelters, officials said Tuesday, and the storm has also disrupted efforts to combat the country's devastating Covid-19 outbreak.