Year After Amphan, Cyclone Yaas Headed Towards India's East Coast: Know Landfall Time & Location

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said cyclone yaas is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm and cross the Odisha and the West Bengal coasts on May 26. The IMD said a low-pressure area formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal and the adjoining north Andaman Sea on Saturday.

Landfall Time

While a low-pressure area is the first stage of formation of a cyclone, it is not necessary that all low-pressure areas will intensify into cyclonic storms. However, the IMD has however issued a forecast of a possible cyclone crossing Odisha-West Bengal coast by May 26 morning.

“The low pressure area is very likely to concentrate into a depression over eastcentral Bay of Bengal by tomorrow, the 23rd May morning. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify into a Cyclonic Storm by 24th May and further into a very severe cyclonic storm during the subsequent 24 hours,” the IMD said.

Landfall Location

While IMD has not issued a notice on the cylone’s speed and specific landfall location, it said the cyclonic storm would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach north Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and the adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts by the morning of May 26.

It is very likely to cross West Bengal and the adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around the evening of May 26. The IMD had issued an advisory for fishermen not to venture into deep sea area of central Bay of Bengal between May 23 and May 25 and into north Bay of Bengal along and off Odisha coast from May 24 to May 27.

Preparedness

The Odisha government has issued high alert at least 14 of the state’s 30 districts ahead of the eventuality of cyclone ‘Yaas’ hitting the state on May 26. The state government has urged the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard to be prepared for the emerging situation. On Friday the ICG said two of their flights and two ships made rounds of the Bay of Bengal.

Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena, who held a series of meetings on the matter, spoke to collectors of 14 districts, different line departments, power distribution companies, telecom providers, authorities of NDRF, ODRAF, Odisha police, state Fire Service and apprised them about their role during the crisis.

He said the authorities of Indian Naval Ship Chilika and Indian Navy have been alerted and are in touch with the state government to meet the challenges posed by the possible calamity. Stating that the 5 teams of NDRF have so far returned to Odisha from Gujarat, Jena said as many as 17 NDRF teams, 20 battalions of ODRAF and 100 teams of Fire Service are in readiness for the relief and rescue operation.

IAF in a tweet on Saturday said it has deployed: “1xC17, 3xC130 and 2xAn-32 for transportation of NDRF personnel and load from Jamnagar to Bhubaneswar and Kolkata. Airlift by 3xC130 and 1xIL-76 from Jamnagar to the same destinations is under progress.”

The NDRF said it has already deployed teams 11 locations: Hasnabad, Sandeshkhali, Gosaba, Kakdwip, Sagar, Digha, Ramnagar, Contai, D Harbour, Kolkata and Howrah.

Tauktae, Amphan Aftermath

Last week, extremely severe cyclone Tauktae hit the Gujarat coast and left a trail of destruction all over the western coast. As it weakened further, its impact was felt across the north Indian plains and even in the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

The April-May and the October-December periods are also known to witness cyclones.

Last May saw the formation of two cyclones one in the Bay of Bengal (super cyclonic storm Amphan) and the other in the Arabian Sea (severe cyclonic storm Nisarga) that hit the Indian coasts.

(With PTI inputs)

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