As ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm Yaas draws close, red-coded warning sounded in coastal Odisha, West Bengal | Top Developments

The IMD has forecast that Cyclone Yaas is likely to make landfall close to north of Dhamra and south of Balasore around noon on Wednesday, May 26.

The states of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand evacuated citizens on a war footing ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Yaas, which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm on its course over the Bay of Bengal. A red-coded warning alert for the Odisha and Bengal coasts was sounded by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday. Going by the IMD's forecast, Cyclone Yaas is likely to make landfall close to north of Dhamra and south of Balasore around noon on Wednesday, May 26. The cyclonic storm was positioned 160 km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 240 km south-southeast of Digha in West Bengal over north-west and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal on Tuesday evening, and is likely to gain a maximum speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph gusting to 185 kmph during landfall. Indian Navy ships and aircraft are on standby for rescue ops as the cyclonic storm gathers strength and moves in a north-westerly direction. It is likely to cross the coast between north Odisha and West Bengal around noon on 26 May. Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command, and Naval Officers-in-Charge at West Bengal and Odisha have carried out preparatory activities to combat the effects of Cyclone Yaas and are in constant liaison with the state administrations for rendering assistance as required.