EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAINS IN ODISHA, BENGAL | STORM MAY REACH JHARKHAND TOMORROW MORNING
Cyclone Yaas weakened into a severe cyclonic storm from a very severe one after landing near Odisha’s Balasore Wednesday (April 26) morning, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
THE VERY SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM ‘YAAS’ (PRONOUNCED AS ‘YASS’) WEAKENED INTO SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM AND LAY CENTRED AT 1230 HRS IST OF THE 26TH MAY, 2021 OVER NORTH COASTAL ODISHA NEAR LATITUDE 21.45°N AND LONGITUDE 86.8°E, ABOUT 15 KM WEST-SOUTHWEST OF BALASORE. pic.twitter.com/rDLDgu4T3p
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
Coastal Odisha and southern West Bengal were marked by very heavy rainfall as normal life was hit.
#CycloneYaas: Live updates from Mahakalapada Block, Kendrapara pic.twitter.com/sfhefzcHJJ
— Down To Earth (@down2earthindia) May 26, 2021
The Odisha DIsaster Rapid Action Force was employed to combat the situation.
#ODRAF_on_the_job ,Gupti ,Kendrapara .#OdishaFightsYass @CMO_Odisha pic.twitter.com/v1iv7cRoTT
— DGP, Odisha (@DGPOdisha) May 26, 2021
News agency ANI quoted IMD Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra as predicting that the cyclone would reach neighbouring Jharkhand by May 27 morning.
#CycloneYaas is crossing Odisha border, south of Balasore. It'll reach Jharkhand tomorrow morning. It caused heavy to extremely heavy rain in Odisha in past 24 hrs. North Odisha & coastal Odisha expected to receive heavy to extremely heavy rain today: IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra pic.twitter.com/qaCjzdlU2I
— ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
The process started around 8:30 am and would continue for a few hours, the Met department said. At 10:30 am, it was reportedly crossing south of Balasore in northern Odisha, bordering West Bengal.
Sub: Hourly update in association with Yaas
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
LANDFALL PROCESS started around 0830 hrs IST.
At 0830 hrs IST, located about 40 KM SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BALASORE. pic.twitter.com/We7MYWufAo
At 0930 hrs IST, YASS NEAR LATITUDE 21.25°N AND LONGITUDE 87.0°E, ABOUT 30 KM SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF BALASORE. Current intensity of the storm is 130-140 KMPH GUSTING TO 155 KMPH. SYSTEM TO CROSS ODISHA COAST TO THE SOUTH OF BALASORE WITH WIND SPEED OF 130-140 GUSTING TO 155 KMPH
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
Intense convective cloud mass has alraedy entered Odisha coast. Artea of most intense convection is seen in the southwest sector.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
Landfall process is continuing. It will take around 3 hours to complete. 30 km south-southeast of Balasore at 0930 hours IST.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2021
Areas at the border of Odisha and West Bengal reported heavy rainfall since last night. There were reports of sea ingress much inland in parts of northern Odisha.
IMD had earlier pegged the landfall in Dhamra, a small port in Odisha’s Bhadrak district — south of Balasore district. Earlier, the department had also indicated that the landfall could be anywhere between Balasore and Digha in Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district.
The cyclone will directky impact the area between Paradip in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal, HR Biswas, director of IMD’s Bhubaneswar centre said May 25.
The administration of the Kendrapada district in Odisha were already afoot to mitigate any possible impact on the Bhitarkanika National Park, India’s second-largest mangrove patch after Bengal’s Sundarbans.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.