Cyclone Yaas forms over Bay of Bengal, to cross Odisha – West Bengal coast on Wednesday afternoon

According to the Met department’s cyclone track, the storm will cross north Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coast between Paradip and Sagar islands, sometime during the afternoon hours of Wednesday.

“Cyclone Yaas will slowly move north-northwestwards and reach north Bay of Bengal to reach north Odisha and West Bengal coast by the morning horus of May 26,” the latest cyclone forecast issued by the IMD, said.

At 5.30 am on Monday, cyclone Yaas was located 600km north-northwest of Port Blair, 540kms south-southeast of Paradip and 650kms south-southeast of Balasore.

North Odisha districts including Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Mayurbhanj will receive moderate to heavy rainfall on Tuesday with the rainfall intensity increasing to very heavy category on Wednesday.

Mednipur, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly districts of West Bengal have been warned of heavy to very heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. Extremely heavy rain is forecast on May 26 and 27 over Murshidabad, Malda, Dakshin Dinajpur, Birbhum, Bankura, Purulia and Bardhaman districts, here.

Gale winds with speeds touching up to 80 km/hr are most likely over Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts from Monday evening which will increase and continue till May 26 evening.

The cyclone track, as on date, suggests that after crossing Odisha the storm is headed towards Jharkhand, where light to moderate intensity rainfall is likely on Wednesday and Thursday.

In addition, adjoining Bihar and coastal Andhra Pradesh along with Assam, Meghalaya and Sikkim will also experience light to moderate intensity rain on May 26 and 27 as cyclone Yaas inches closer to the land.