Low pressure forms, Odisha braces for cyclone ‘Yaas’

BHUBANESWAR:  Odisha is bracing for a mid-pandemic natural disaster as a low pressure formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday morning is likely to grow into a very severe cyclonic storm ‘Yaas’ over the next four days.

Preliminary forecast says, the tropical storm may cross the coast around north Odisha, West Bengal, and Bangladesh by May 26 evening.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the low pressure will concentrate into a depression by Sunday morning, move north-northwestwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday. Over the subsequent 24 hours, it would gain strength into a very severe cyclonic storm. The storm will continue to move north-northwestwards and reach north Bay of Bengal near West Bengal, adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around Wednesday morning.

The path of the system can be ascertained after it intensifies into a depression, Director Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre HR Biswas said. Private weather forecaster Skymet said, cyclone Tauktae, which formed over Arabian Sea, had a long sea travel and therefore intensified into an extremely severe cyclonic storm. “The tropical storm over Bay of Bengal will barely have 500 km to 600 km of ocean stretch before the coastline. The storm is expected to move north-west towards West Bengal and north Odisha coast and will make landfall on May 26 morning,” it added.

According to Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), global models are in good agreement that the system will continue to track northward and intensify steadily. The potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours has been upgraded to medium, the agency predicted.
With formation of the system, many coastal districts began reporting rainfall intensity of which would only increase over the next few days.

Very heavy rainfall warning has been issued for Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts Tuesday onwards. While wind speed reaching 40 km/hr to 50 km/hr and gusting up to 60 km/hr will prevail along and off Odisha coast from Monday evening, it might increase further, hitting 90 km/hr to 100 km/hr and gusting up to 110 km/hr from Wednesday afternoon.