More than 1,100,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas in West Bengal and Odisha as cyclone Yaas is hovering over the eastern coast and is expected to make a landfall tomorrow (May 26 morning). The India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects Odisha’s Bhadrak to face the first onslaught of the cyclone when it hits the coast.

“The Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas (pronounced as Yass) over northwest & Bay of Bengal intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, moved north northwestwards with a speed of about 15 kmph during past 6 hours, and lay centred at 1730 hrs IST of today, the 25 th May, 2021 over northwest Bay of Bengal,” the IMD statement informed.

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IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has been quoted as saying that the cyclone’s impact will be severe for six hours before and after the landfall and Odisha’s Chandbali will witness the maximum damage.

Also, Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport will suspend its operations from 11 pm tonight till 5 am on May 27.

While West Bengal has been reported to have evacuated over 900,000 people to safe locations, the Odisha government, on the other hand, has stated that it has sifted over 200,000 people from coastal districts to safety.

The fishers have been advised not to venture into central Bay of Bengal till tomorrow (May 26) afternoon and into north Bay of Bengal and along & off north Andhra Pradesh-Odisha-West Bengal–Bangladesh coasts during May 25 – May 26th.

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“Tidal waves of height 2-4 meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying areas of Balasore, Bhadrak and about 2 meters above astronomical tide are likely to inundate low lying areas of Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Kendrapara & Jagatsinghpur Districts around the time of landfall,” IMD said.

According to IMD, damage expected for coastal districts of North Odisha, West Bengal and adjoining interior districts of these states is as follows:

* Total destruction of thatched houses/ extensive damage to kutcha houses. Some damage to pucca houses.

Also Read: Low pressure area forms in Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Yaas to be ‘very severe’ and expected to hit Odisha, West Bengal on May 26: IMD

* Potential threat from flying objects. Bending/ uprooting of power and communication poles.Disruption of railways, overhead power lines and signalling systems.

* Widespread damage to standing crops, plantations, orchards, falling of green coconuts and tearing of palm fronds.

* Blowing down of bushy trees like mango. Small boats, country crafts may get detached from moorings.

* Visibility severely affected.

“After the landfall the system is very likely to move northwestwards across interior districts of Odisha and weaken gradually. It is likely to maintain the intensity of Cyclonic Storm till the early morning of 27th May and thereafter it will weaken gradually into a Depression over Jharkhand,” the IMD statement read.