Cyclone Yaas to intensify into severe cyclonic storm over next 12 hours: IMD

Kolkata: Very severe cyclonic storm Yaas is presently located around 630 kilometres away from Digha coast and is likely to make landfall on Tuesday (May 25) evening somewhere between Digha in East Midnapore district in West Bengal and Paradeep in Odisha. Kolkata Meteorological office released a briefing on the matter on Monday (May 24). 

Sanjib Banerjee, DDGM Indian Meteorological Department, Kolkata released a briefing on Cyclone Yaas. According to the briefing, "Over the next 12 hours, it will intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm. "

At 1130 IST, Cyclone ‘Yaas’ about 520 km south-southeast of Paradip. To intensify further and cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts betweenParadip and Sagar Islands around Balasore, during noon of 26th Mayas a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. pic.twitter.com/Xb9cHYsfyE

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 24, 2021

"On May 26, it will further intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. On May 26th afternoon, the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas will cross between Sagar of Bengal & Paradip of Odisha near Balasore," the briefing stated. 

#Watch| Sanjib Banerjee, deputy director, IMD Kolkata briefs on Cyclonic storm.

Banerjee says that a Low Pressure will form on 22nd May & will further intensify into a Cyclonic storm & will reach the Bengal-Odisha coast on 26th May morning. #CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/g9JWfK0WQj — Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) May 21, 2021

The state administration has pressed into action all its resources to minimise the damages caused by the storm. The state administration is fully geared up to deal with the cyclone. The Unified Command Agency that includes officials from all departments including NDRF, SDRF, Kolkata police, West Bengal marine police, coastal guards, officials from that state electricity board and Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation has started working from Monday morning.

So far, the IAF airlifted 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and 70 tonnes of cargo from Jamnagar, Varanasi, Patna and Arakonnam to Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair in 15 aircraft.