Cyclone Yaas To Make Landfall At Noon, Rain & Gusty Winds Hit Odisha

After the devastating Cyclone Tauktae that hit India’s western coast, a very severe cyclonic storm Yaas is all set to cause havoc on the eastern coast. Yaas is centered about 50km south-southeast of Balasore. The cyclone is likely to make landfall between Dhamra Port and Balasore on the Odisha coast with a wind speed of 185 km per hour.

VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM YAAS CENTRED ABOUT 50 KM SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BALASORE.LANDFALL PROCESS HAS COMMENCED AROUND 0900 HRS IST. pic.twitter.com/esPuoaECL0

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021

Rain and gusty winds have already hit Odisha’s Bhadrak district; visuals from Dhamara coastal area. As Cyclone Yaas nears landfall, the sea turns rough at Digha in the Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal. Over 11.5 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable places in West Bengal on Tuesday, informed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. A total number of 2274 citizens in Kolkata have been shifted to safer locations till Tuesday evening.

Rain and gusty winds hit Odisha’s Bhadrak district; visuals from Dhamara coastal area #CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/A63Sn3iCvZ

— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021

Kolkata airport will shut down at 8.30 am on Wednesday ahead of the storm. It will resume operation from 7.45 pm when the storm abates and conditions improve for safe flight operations. Bhubaneswar airport will also remain shut till 5 am on Thursday due to the cyclonic conditions.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) director-general Satya Narayan Pradhan said that they have deployed 2,000 NDRF personnel in Odisha. 30,000 people from low-lying areas in the Kendrapada district have been shifted to 117 cyclone centres and 410 schools.

Also Read: Cyclone Yaas To Intensify Into Severe Cyclonic Storm In Next 24 Hours