Kolkata: The Regional Meteorological Department on Saturday said that a low pressure has been formed today over East Central Bay of Bengal and is very likely to concentrate into a depression over East Central Bay of Bengal within May 23.
By May 24 it will intensify into a very severe Cyclonic Storm and will move north-northwestwards and will reach North Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around May 26.
“The coastal areas will start receiving moderate rainfall with wind-speed up to 40-45 kmph and the rainfall will gradually increase for entire Gangetic West Bengal and the landfall is likely on West Bengal coast with wind-speed upto 120-160kmph,” said Regional Meteorological Department director GK Das also adding that the condition might change and developments can get added.
According to the weatherman, cyclone Yaas will be less destructive in comparison to super cyclone Amphan that made a landslide at West Bengal last May.
“According to radar reading Yaas will remain as a cyclone and chances are less for it to get converted into a super cyclone like Amphan,” added GK Das.
Meanwhile, all the District Magistrates near the coastal areas were seen asking people to take shelter in concrete buildings and were also urging the fishermen to come back by May 23 morning. The DMs were also seen monitoring the dams in the coastal areas so that no untoward incident takes place.
Incidentally, taking lessons from cyclone Amphan a 24-hour control room has been started in ‘Upanna’, a place near West Bengal state secretariat Nabanna where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be present on May 25 and 26.
Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has also opened a control room and divided it into three shifts so that all round monitoring is conducted.
“The three shifts are made to monitor the developments. The shifts are arranged from 10am-2pm, 2pm-10pm and 10pm-6am. Besides, 20 disaster management teams are also made in order to tackle the situation,” mentioned the sources of KMC.
Notably, 115 disaster management teams are made across West Bengal. Also a total of 78 trains of South-Eastern Railways due to cyclone Yaas.