Dark clouds hover in the sky ahead of cyclone Yaas in Kolkata, Monday, May 24, 2021. (PTI)Cyclone Yaas, Weather forecast Today Live Updates: The Odisha government rushed a large contingent of rescue and relief teams to Balasore district bordering West Bengal on Monday where the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas is likely to make landfall, new agency PTI reported.
A massive evacuation drive will be launched in all low-lying areas and vulnerable storm-surge pockets, following the IMD predicting a tidal surge of 2-4.5 meters during the landfall of Yaas, an official said.
Earlier today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also held a meeting via video conference with the chief ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to review preparations in view of Cyclone Yaas.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday said the deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Yaas’ and is likely to cross the Odisha-West Bengal coasts on May 26 after turning into a very severe cyclonic storm.
The system currently lay 490 km south-southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 580 km south-southeast of Digha in West Bengal on Monday morning and is very likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday and into a very severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday morning, IMD said.
NDRF team announce cyclone related alerts, ahead of landfall of Cyclone 'Yaas', in Howrah district, Sunday, May 23, 2021. (PTI Photo)
On foot and on cycles, 60 families began their journey from Magarkanda village of Kendrapara’s Rajnagar block on Monday morning to reach a temporary shelter in a school building seven kilometres away in view of cyclone Yaas — such evacuations not new to their experience but a raging pandemic adding to fears in several areas this time. Kendrapara is among the five districts of Odisha put on high alert, besides Balasore, Jagatsinhpur, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj, after officials confirmed that Yaas is likely to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm ahead of its landfall on May 26. Officials said that the total population to be evacuated will most likely be around 1.4 lakh. Read More
North coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh are bracing for severe cyclonic storm Yaas, which is predicted to hit the eastern coast on May 25-26, and supply of liquid medical oxygen to the state may be hit.
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy while speaking to Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a video conference said that there is a possibility of a slight impact on Northern AP and the coastal areas, considering the cyclone’s movements. Read More
The India Meteorological Department has said Cyclone Yaas will 'cross between Paradip and Sagar Island around Balasore, during noon of 26th May' as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.
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As Cyclone Yaas looms closer to the eastern shores of India, states like Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh have sprung into action to ensure minimum loss of life and property.
With an aim to tackle the cyclone amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Pradeep Kumar Jena, Special Relief Commissioner of Odisha, has stated that arrangements have been made for a smooth evacuation following Covid norms.
“Oxygen plants are being given alternative power backups. Adequate buffer oxygen stocks are being made available to Covid hospitals in the cyclone-prone area,” he said.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also directed its rescue teams to ensure that the country’s major medical oxygen generation plants based in Odisha and West Bengal are “running and alive” during Cyclone Yaas, news agency PTI reported citing a senior official. More details here.
The Odisha government on Monday decided to suspend the Covid-19 testing, vaccination and door-to-door survey work in the three cyclone-prone districts. The three districts are Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj. They fall in the red zones having more than 1000 active coronavirus cases, PTI reported.
Heavy rain in Odisha's Kendrapada ahead of cyclone Yaas
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee pointed out that the Centre, despite promising all forms of assistance to combat Cyclone Yaas, has agreed to provide an advance of only Rs 400 crore, while "smaller states" such as Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are being given Rs 600 crore each.
Banerjee, following a meeting of Home Minister Amit Shah with chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said her state, which is more densely populated, was facing "repeated discrimination". (PTI)
The Kolkata Port will suspend all shipping movements from May 25 in the wake of cyclone Yaas, a senior official said on Monday.
Kolkata Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar said the decision was taken as a precautionary measure.
Entering of ships will be halted from Tuesday morning, while cargo handling will be stooped at 2 pm and workers will be shifted to safety, he said.
The movement of goods-carrying vehicles on the port roads will be halted at 6 pm. (PTI)
As per the latest bulletin by the IMD, cyclonic storm Yass is moving north-northwestwards with a speed of about 07 kmph for the past 6 hours, and currently lay centred over the East-central Bay of Bengal near latitude 16.8°N and longitude 89.5°E, about 670 km north-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 490 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 590 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 580 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal).
A satellite image shows the formation of a low-pressure area between 3:30 pm and 3:56 pm as it develops into Cyclone Yaas and approaches the Indian Eastern Coast. (Image courtesy: PTI)
The Odisha government rushed a large contingent of rescue and relief teams to Balasore district bordering West Bengal on Monday where the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas is likely to make landfall, PTI reported.
A massive evacuation drive will be launched in all low-lying areas and vulnerable storm-surge pockets, following the IMD predicting a tidal surge of 2-4.5 meters during the landfall of Yaas, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena told reporters.
"The process of evacuation has already begun in the state and would be completed by Tuesday afternoon. The government is determined to ensure zero casualties in the cyclone," he said.
As Cyclone Yaas hit the eastern shore on Monday, Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting with chief ministers of the states concerned and representatives of Central ministries to take stock of the situation. Shah not only emphasised on evacuation of people from vulnerable areas but also asked states to ensure their Covid infrastructure was not disrupted. Shah “specifically reviewed and reiterated to the states/UT administrations to make adequate power backup arrangements in all Covid-19 hospitals, labs, vaccine cold chains and other medical facilities,” a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs said. More details here.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday said collective efforts of all the stakeholders to deal with cyclone Yaas can ensure zero casualties.
He said central and state governments are working together to ensure orderly planning, relief and rehabilitation measures post-cyclone.
"We must ensure a completely zero casualty situation and the collective efforts of governments and industry participants can actually make that happen," Goyal said while interacting with industry representatives on preparedness for cyclone Yaas. (PTI)
Here's what you need to do during a cyclone warning
* Keep a safety kit including documents ready
* When asked to evacuate, move to designated cyclone shelter with the safety kit
"Arrangements made for a smooth evacuation following Covid norms. Oxygen plants are given alternate power backups. Adequate buffer oxygen stocks are being made available to Covid hospitals in the cyclone-prone area," Pradeep K Jena, Special Relief Commissioner told news agency ANI.
NDRF has directed its rescue teams to ensure that the country's major medical oxygen generation plants based in Odisha and West Bengal are "running and alive" during Cyclone Yaas that is developing in the Bay of Bengal, news agency PTI reported citing a senior official.
NDRF director general (DG) S N Pradhan said the force has earmarked a total of 149 teams for undertaking evacuation and rescue operations, of which 99 will be deployed on the ground and the remaining 50 will be available at its various bases across the country for quick airlift, if required.
Five NDRF teams arrivedat Biju Patnaik International Airport on Monday. Below are some pictures of the NDRF team. (ANI)
Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls is likely at isolated places on 24th May and heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on 25th May in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls has been predicted at isolated places over coastal Odisha on 24th, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Cuttack, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Keonjhargarh.
Heavy falls at isolated places in Puri, Khurda, Angul, Deogarh, Sundergarh on 26th May and heavy rainfall at isolated places in north interior Odisha on 27th May.
In West Bengal, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall over Medinipur, South 24 Parganas and heavy rainfall at isolated places in Howrah, Hooghly & North 24 Parganas district on 25th. Extremely heavy rain at isolated places over Jhargram, Medinipur, South 24 Parganas & heavy to very heavy rain at few places in Purulia, Bankura, Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24 Paraganas, Birbhum & heavy falls at places over Nadia, Murshidabad, Darjeeling on May 26.
Heavy to very heavy rain is likely at isolated places in Malda & Darjeeling, Dinajpur, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Sikkim & heavy rain at few places over Bankura, Purulia, Bardhaman, Birbhum & Murshidabad on 27th May.
Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Jharkhand on 26th and 27th May and isolated heavy falls on 28th May.
In Bihar, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places on 26th and 27th May and isolated heavy falls on 28th May.
Assam and Meghalaya are likely to receive light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on 26th and 27th May.
As Cyclone Yaas forms over Bay of Bengal, seven teams from the Pune headquartered 5th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were airlifted by IAF’s transport aircraft to Bhuvneshwar, Odisha for further deployment in coastal districts.
These teams are equipped with boats, rescue equipment and the team members include engineering, paramedic, technical experts and also a dog squad. The configurations of these teams change as per the nature of emergency.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Monday said the cyclonic storm ‘Yaas’ over East-Central Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 02 kmph during past 6 hours, and lay centred at 0830 hrs IST of today, the 24th May, 2021 over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal near latitude 16.4°N and longitude 89.6°E, about 620 km north-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 530 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 630 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 620 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal).
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during next 12 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours. It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by 26th May early morning. It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around noon of 26th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.