Kolkata: Days after Cyclone Tauktae left a trail of destruction along the western coast, another cyclone named ‘Yass’ which is rumoured to be more powerful than Amphan is building up in the Bay of Bengal. A top official of the Ministry of Earth Science on Wednesday said that the cyclone is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal and expected to hit the eastern coast around May 27. The official further said that the cyclone might not be as severe as cyclone Tauktae, which intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm.
Speaking to the media, M Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said a cyclone circulation is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal on May 23. “It is likely that it will intensify into a cyclone and hit the West Bengal and Odisha coast,” Rajeevan said.
Rumours of the Cyclone Yaas (misspelled as Yash) has taken the internet by storm as people have started panicking after the damage Cyclone Tauktae has left along the western coast. Many netizens have even started sharing memes about the two back to back cyclones hitting the country.
Meanwhile, a the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata said that that no such warning had been issued. A release issued by the departement said, “As of now, we have only issued a statement about a low-pressure trough likely to form over east central Bay of Bengal and its adjoining area around May 23. We are closely monitoring the development of this system.”
April-May, the pre-monsoon months, usually witness the formation of cyclones on the eastern as well as the western coast. May 2020 saw two cyclones — super cyclonic storm Amphan and severe cyclonic storm Nisarga — which hit the eastern and western coast, respectively.