LIVE: Cyclone Yaas weakens after pounding Odisha-West Bengal coasts

Cyclone Yaas LIVE updates: Cyclone Yaas weakened into a severe cyclonic storm on Wednesday afternoon after pounding the beach towns in north Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal with a wind speed of 130-145 kmph, inundating the low-lying areas amid a storm surge. Yaas, which was earlier classified as a very severe cyclonic storm, hit the coast north of Dhamra in Odisha's Bhadrak district and 50 km south of Balasore, close to Bahanaga block, around 9 am.

The landfall process was over around 1:30 pm. The wind will slow down by the evening and the cyclone is likely to leave Odisha for Jharkhand by midnight.

Meanwhile, Odisha shifted 5.8 lakh people to safer places, while West Bengal moved 15 lakh people ahead of the cyclone. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that 10 million people were affected by the cyclone in the state. Three lakh houses were damaged due to the cyclone, she said. 

Jharkhand, already on high alert state, continued evacuating low-lying areas amid the forecast that the cyclone would be hitting the state by midnight.
 

Last week, Cyclone Tauktae slammed into the west coast.

Stay tuned for Cyclone Yaas LIVE updates