Authorities have been moving people from low-lying coastal areas ahead of the cyclone's landfall
Cyclone Yaas is nearing the country's east coast, days after deadly cyclone, Tauktae, hit its west coast. '"Yaas" is likely to intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS) by Tuesday evening, said the weather office earlier today. It will make landfall between Dhamra Port and Balasore on the Odisha coast Tuesday noon, with wind speed of upto 185 km per hour. It is expected to pass over Bengal too. Neighbouring Jharkhand has also sounded an alert and is preparing for the cyclone's impact.
Authorities have been moving people from low-lying coastal areas in Bengal and Odisha to shelters at government buildings, schools, and other sturdy structures. Pregnant women and children were sent to government hospitals, as fishermen shifted boats to safety inland.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that her administration has evacuated over nine lakh people to safe shelters.
The Odisha government, on the other hand, said it has moved over 2 lakh people from vulnerable areas in coastal districts to safety.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the cyclone's impact will be severe for six hours before and after the landfall and Chandbali in Odisha will witness the maximum damage.
Here are the Highlights on Cyclone Yaas:
Odisha's districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts are likely to be affected due to Cyclone Yaas. In Bengal, the districts of West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas -- and state capital Kolkata -- may experience storm with wind speeds of up to 120 km per hour.
Over 11.5 Lakh People Evacuated In West BengalOver 11.5 lakh people have been evacuated from vulnerable places in West Bengal on Tuesday in view of the impending cyclone Yaas, informed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Meanwhile, two persons were electrocuted and at least 80 houses were damaged in Hooghly and North 24 Parganas districts due to strong winds and heavy rainfall on Tuesday at the onset of cyclone Yaas.
Cyclone Yaas: Vessels Moved, Oil And Gas Installations In Survival ModeShips at anchorage have been asked to move to a safer area in the sea while oil and gas installations will go into "survival" mode as they brace for Cyclone Yaas to make landfall between Dhamra Port and Balasore on the Odisha coast.
Cyclone Yaas: Highest-Ever Number Of Disaster Response Teams For Odisha, Bengal The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked its highest-ever number of teams for deployment in Odisha and West Bengal as part of its preparations for the impending cyclone Yaas, a senior officer said on Tuesday.
The federal contingency force has committed a total of 112 teams for deployment in five states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are expected to be affected by the cyclone developing in the Bay of Bengal.
Out of these, the highest the number of 52 teams are designated for Odisha followed by 45 teams for West Bengal.
Cyclone Yaas: Heavy rainfall warning for Bengal
Cyclone Yaas: Trains tied with chains in East Midnapore to avoid accidents
Cyclone Yaas: Eastern Railway cancels Malda-Balurghat passenger special on May 26 and May 27
Cyclone Yaas: Army deploys 17 relief columns in West BengalThe Indian Army has deployed 17 integrated relief columns, comprising specialised personnel with necessary equipment and inflatable boats, in West Bengal as cyclone Yaas approaches the country's eastern coast.
"The deployment of the Army columns is based on a requisition and is in close coordination with the government of West Bengal," the Army said in a statement.
Cyclone Yaas is likely to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha''s Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning and it can have a speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had said on Monday.
The Army columns are equipped to undertake casualty evacuation of stranded or marooned persons, medical treatment, road clearing or tree cutting, and distribution of relief material, as would be required by the local district administration, the statement said.
"Columns have been pre-positioned at Purulia, Jhargram, Birbhum, Bardhaman, West Midnapur, Howrah, Hoogly, Nadia, 24 Parganas North & South," the Army said.
Nine cyclone relief columns have also been kept on standby at Kolkata for redeployment, as necessary in West Bengal, at a short notice, it said.
PTI
Cyclone Yaas: Vessels moved, oil and gas installations in survival modeShips at anchorage have been asked to move to a safer area in the sea while oil and gas installations will go into ''survival'' mode as they brace for cyclone Yaas to make landfall at north Odisha-West Bengal coast.
Cyclone Yaas, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane, is the second severe storm in the span of about 10 days to hit Indian coasts. The cyclone is set to make landfall sometime Wednesday evening.
A major contingency plan has been put in place to mitigate the impact of the cyclone on oil and gas installations, an official statement said.
Odisha coast has two major ports at Dhamra and Paradip and a huge oil refinery at Paradip. West Bengal hosts a major port at Haldia.
Oil and gas exploration and production installations are designed to withstand cyclones. There are also smaller ports along the coast.
PTI
Tower company's in state of readiness to mitigate impact of Cyclone Yaas on telecom infra: TAIPATelecom industry body TAIPA on Tuesday said the association and its members are in a state of readiness to mitigate the impact of Cyclone Yaas on telecom infrastructure in West Bengal and Odisha, adding that teams have been deployed to deal with any outage and restore connectivity.
All infrastructure provider (IP) members have taken necessary measures including preparedness in terms of Cell on Wheels (CoWs), arrangement of spare batteries, and adequate amount of diesel and generator sets, T R Dua, Director-General, Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA), said in a statement.
Teams are in a state of readiness to rectify any damage to telecom installations.
"TAIPA and its members such as Indus Towers, ATC Towers, Ascend Telecom, Summit Digitel and Tower Vision along with the telecom operators have geared up to mitigate the impact of cyclone Yaas...," the association said.
Barely a week after cyclone Tauktae battered the western coast, leaving behind a trail of destruction, the country is bracing for cyclone Yaas on the eastern coast.
PTI
Cyclone Yaas: Railways moves 680 tonnes of oxygen from Odisha, Bengal, JharkhandIndian Railways moved 680 tonnes of oxygen from Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand in the last 12 hours in anticipation of Cyclone Yaas which is likely to hit the region soon, the national transporter said on Tuesday.
Severe cyclonic storm Yaas is likely to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha's Bhadrak district early Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
"Oxygen Expresses moved 680 tonnes of oxygen relief from Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand in the last 12 hours before the cyclone gets stronger. Eight Oxygen Expresses have moved from the region," a statement from the Railways said.
The country's major liquid medical oxygen (LMO) generation plants are based in this region and are now proving to be the source of the life-saving gas for other states for supply to hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, the Railways has delivered more than 17,239 tonnes of LMO in more than 1,042 tankers to 14 states since it started operations last month.
Providing relief to oxygen starved states, so far, 263 Oxygen Express trains have completed their journey while two more loaded trains with more than 134 tonnes of LMO in eight tankers are currently on the run.
PTI
Cyclone Yaas: Jharkhand evacuation ops on in districts in view of YaasJharkhand on high alert over severe cyclonic storm ''Yaas" has evacuated people from
vulnerable areas in East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and other districts bordering West Bengal and Odisha to safer places while the operation is going on to deal with the crisis, a top
official said.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a high-level meeting reviewed the preparedness of the state and asked officials to be on high-alert to deal with the situation and act on war- footing.
"The state has deployed eight units of the NDRF in areas likely to be affected by the cyclone... The cyclone is likely to severely impact Kolhan division that comprises East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Saraikela-Kharsawan. Bokaro and Khunti are also likely to be severely impacted...All those in thatched houses and huts in bordering areas with West Bengal
and Odisha are being shifted to shelter homes," Secretary, Disaster Management Department, Amitabh Kaushal told PTI.
State capital Ranchi is likely to be lashed with heavy rainfall.
Cyclone Yaas Updates: IMD shares latest news
Cyclone Yaas Updates: Odisha people pin hopes on mangrove forest to get saved from Cyclone YaasAfter it was known that Cyclone Yaas will hit Bhitarkania National Park in Kendrapara district close to Dhamra port in Odisha, local people exude optimism that the rich mangrove forest cover
along the wetland sites of the park would again turn into a saviour for them.
Though the cyclonic storm is likely to make landfall on Wednesday, rain has started in the national park area since Tuesday morning and people are experiencing gusty wind.
"Everybody here is confined indoors either in homes or cyclone shelters. The forest cover around had protected us with minimal damage in past cyclones. We pray forest withstands the onslaught this time also," said Ganesh Chandra Gudia who lives in Talchua village beside the park.
The national park had withstood the onslaught of cyclone Amphan that had barrelled through coastal Odisha in May last year.
PTI
Cyclone Yaas: Several houses damaged in Naihati and Halisahar due to strong winds
Cyclone Yaas news: Vaccination drive on May 26 rescheduled to May 29 in BhubaneswarVaccination drive on May 26 has been rescheduled to May 29 in all centres under Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) area due to Cyclone Yaas. Citizens who have booked their appointment for May 26 can take vaccines on May 29 with the same appointment slip: BMC
ANI
People evacuated to shelter homes in view of Cyclone Yaas in Odisha's Basudevpur. "Some 300-400 people have been shifted here with food & other facilities arranged by the district administration," says a local.
Cyclone Yaas: Flight operations suspended at Kolkata airport from 8.30am to 7.45pm tomorrowBREAKING: In view of the weather warning by IMD, flight operations at Kolkata airport will be suspended from 8:30 am till 7:45 pm of May 26, according to the airport administration.
(ANI)
Cyclone Yaas updates: 11.5 lakh evacuated in Bengal
Cyclone Yaas: Army deploys 17 relief columns in West BengalThe Army has deployed 17 integrated relief columns, comprising specialised personnel with necessary equipment and inflatable boats, in West Bengal as cyclone Yaas approaches the country's eastern coast.
"The deployment of the Army columns is based on a requisition and is in close coordination with the government of West Bengal," the Army said in a statement.
Cyclone Yaas is likely to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha's Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning and it can have a speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had said on Monday.
The Army columns are equipped to undertake casualty evacuation of stranded or marooned persons, medical treatment, road clearing or tree cutting, and distribution of relief material, as would be required by the local district administration, the statement said.
2 Electrocuted In Bengal During Tornado Ahead Of Cyclone Yaas, 40 Houses DamagedBengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today that two people died after being electrocuted during tornado at Chinsura in Hooghly district ahead of Cyclone Yaas, which is expected to make landfall on the Odisha coast tomorrow morning.
The tornado, which lasted for a minute and a half, destroyed 40 houses, said the Chief Minister at a press conference.
The people, assisted by local panchayat members, are being shifted to a school building.
Cyclone Yaas: Vessels moved, oil and gas installations in survival modeShips at anchorage have been asked to move to a safer area in the sea while oil and gas installations will go into ''survival'' mode as they brace for cyclone Yaas to make landfall at north Odisha-West Bengal coast.
Cyclone Yaas, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane, is the second severe storm in the span of about 10 days to hit Indian coasts. The cyclone is set to make landfall sometime Wednesday evening.
A major contingency plan has been put in place to mitigate the impact of the cyclone on oil and gas installations, an official statement said.
Odisha coast has two major ports at Dhamra and Paradip and a huge oil refinery at Paradip. West Bengal hosts a major port at Haldia.
Oil and gas exploration and production installations are designed to withstand cyclones. There are also smaller ports along the coast.
Bengal, Odisha evacuate lakhs of people to safety as ''Yaas'' nears coastWest Bengal and Odisha have evacuated lakhs of people from vulnerable areas to safety as severe cyclonic storm ''Yaas'' is nearing the coast and is expected to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning.
Neighbouring Jharkhand has also sounded an alert and is preparing for the cyclone''s impact.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that her administration has evacuated over nine lakh people to safe shelters.
The Odisha government, on the other hand, said it has moved over 2 lakh people from vulnerable areas in coastal districts to safety.
Cyclone Yaas: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister reviews preparedness
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday reviewed the preparations for Cyclone Yaas, including the need to make necessary arrangements for the safety of power plants and to ensure uninterrupted power supply to hospitals and health facilities treating COVID-19 patients.
Jagan Mohan Reddy held a review meeting with district collectors of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vishakapatnam and discussed the precautionary measures to be taken regarding the situation in the wake of Cyclone Yaas.
During the review meeting on Tuesday, the Chief Minister directed the district collectors and officials to be on high alert and follow the updates of the meteorological department and take necessary actions accordingly. He said to monitor the movement of the storm and take the required measures.
Cyclone Yaas To Make Landfall In North Odisha At Noon TomorrowCyclone Yaas will make landfall on the north Odisha coast between Dhamra Port and Balasore on Wednesday noon with a wind speed of upto 185 km per hour, met office chief M Mohapatra has told NDTV. Both Odisha and Bengal are on high alert.
It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island, Mr Mohapatra told NDTV.
Mamata Banerjee's All-Nighter In Office As Bengal Braces For Cyclone YaasWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced she will stay at the state secretariat tonight to monitor the rescue and relief operation linked to Cyclone Yaas, which is expected to make landfall on the Odisha coast tomorrow morning, with wind speeds of up to 185 kilometre/hour.
54,000 officers and relief workers, 2 lakh police and Home Guard personnel, along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, will be deployed to tackle the fallout of the storm, which may severely impact several districts of Bengal, Ms Banerjee said.
"I have spoken to all the district magistrates on Cyclone Yaas. I will stay in Nabanna (the state secretariat) tonight. I will monitor the situation closely," she said.
Mamata Banerjee's All-Nighter In Office As Bengal Braces For Cyclone YaasWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced she will stay at the state secretariat tonight to monitor the rescue and relief operation linked to Cyclone Yaas, which is expected to make landfall on the Odisha coast tomorrow morning, with wind speeds of up to 185 kilometre/hour.
54,000 officers and relief workers, 2 lakh police and Home Guard personnel, along with National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, will be deployed to tackle the fallout of the storm, which may severely impact several districts of Bengal, Ms Banerjee said.
"I have spoken to all the district magistrates on Cyclone Yaas. I will stay in Nabanna (the state secretariat) tonight. I will monitor the situation closely," she said.
Cyclone Yaas: Odisha Police gears up for rescue operations
In view of the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas likely to make landfall on the coastal areas of Odisha, evacuation drive is on a war footing and is expected to be completed by evening while rescue teams have been deployed with high-end equipment to carry out effective and prompt rescue operations, informed Y K Jethwa, ADGP (Law and Order).
Briefing the mediapersons, the ADGP said, "To tackle the impending Cyclone Yaas, Odisha Police has been involved in the pre-cyclone measures and post-cyclone rescue operation. The police teams in the vulnerable and coastal districts under the supervision of respective SPs have intensified the evacuation drive. As many as 81,661 people living in vulnerable areas have already been evacuated and sent to cyclone shelters. The evacuation drive will be expedited in the coming hours and by the evening we will finish the evacuation drive."
20 Lakh Evacuated, Rushed To Shelters As India Braces For Another CycloneA powerful cyclone headed for India's east coast Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearly two million people just a week after another huge storm claimed at least 155 lives on the west coast.
Cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal is expected to slam into West Bengal and Odisha around midday on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department said, and could bring winds of up to 165 kilometres per hour.
Experts say the warming of ocean waters due to climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of such storms.
Cyclone Yaas: Paradip port in Odisha suspends operation from 2 pm on TuesdayParadip Port Trust (PPT) suspended its operations from 2 pm on Tuesday as part of safety measures in view of the impending severe cyclone ''Yaas'', which is likely to cross Odisha coast on May 26, an official said.
At least 12 vessels proceeded down to the deep sea so as to avoid the path of the storm, he said, adding that all the trucks, dumpers and large cargo handling equipment in the port area will be taken to a safe zone.
"The authorities have been in coordination with the Odisha government and the Jagatsinghpur district administration to take all the precautionary measures," Paradip Port Trust Chairman Vinit Kumar said.
Cyclone Yaas Likely To Make Landfall Near Odisha's Dhamra Port Tomorrow Morning: ReportCyclonic storm 'Yaas' is likely to make landfall near Dhamra Port in Odisha's Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Umashankar Das, a scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar said that the landfall will most likely be between Dhamra and Chandbali in the district.
IMD Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that Cyclone Yaas is likely to intensify into a "Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (VSCS)" by Tuesday evening and Chandbali is likely to witness the maximum damage caused by it.
Cyclone Yaas: NDRF earmarks highest-ever number of teams for Odisha, WBThe National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked its highest-ever number of teams for deployment in Odisha and West Bengal as part of its preparations for the impending cyclone Yaas, a senior officer said on Tuesday.
The federal contingency force has committed a total of 112 teams for deployment in five states and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are expected to be affected by the cyclone developing in the Bay of Bengal.
Out of these, the highest the number of 52 teams are designated for Odisha followed by 45 teams for West Bengal.
The rest of the teams are being stationed in states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and the UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Cyclone Yaas: Odisha cops carrying infants and guiding children, women, and other locals to safetyVisuals from Chandabali and Naikanadihi of Bhadrak district in Odisha where cops are carrying infants and guiding children, women, and other locals to safety.
Cycone Yaas: Second Cyclone In 10 Days To Slam Into India Amid Covid MiseryA powerful cyclone is set to slam into India on Wednesday, the second in less than two weeks, with authorities gearing up for relief operations at a time when the nation is facing the world's worst outbreak of Covid-19.
Cyclone Yaas, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane, will cause heavy rains in West Bengal and Odisha, with wind speeds as high as 185 kilometers per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department. Sea levels may increase 4 meters above regular tides and inundate low-lying areas, it said.
The latest storm follows a severe cyclone that hit the west coast last week -- the worst in over two decades in Gujarat -- killing dozens after a barge sank in the sea.
Cyclone Yaas updates: Rain in Bhubaneswar
Cyclone Yaas: Red alert warning issued for Odisha's Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore
Cyclone Yaas lay centred at 0530 hrs IST of today, about 320km SSE of Paradip, 430km SSE of Balasore, likely to move north-northwestwards, to cross north Odisha coast during noon of 26th May as a very severe cyclonic storm: Met Department
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister directs officials to take all necessary steps to face Cyclone Yaas
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday directed the officials concerned to take all necessary steps to face the Yaas Cyclonic storm.
The Chief Minister held a review meeting on the COVID-19 situation and the ongoing vaccination drive in the state.
During the review meeting held at the camp office here, the Chief Minister asked the officials to make alternative arrangements for uninterrupted supply of oxygen in the wake of Cyclone Yaas and added to focus on supply and storage of oxygen.
He further asked to take measures to shift Covid patients from Cyclone prone area before the landfall of Yaas Cyclone. Mr Reddy directed State Chief Secretary to station in Vishakapatnam to monitor the situation.
Cyclone Yaas: Please follow all precautionary measures, says Rahul Gandhi
Cyclone Yaas: All 265 fishing boats have returned to harbour from Bay of Bengal, says Coast Guard
The Indian Coast Guard on Monday said all the 265 boats, which were reported to be in the Bay of Bengal by fisheries authorities, have returned to harbour in view of cyclone Yaas.
The cyclone is very likely to cross the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around May 26 noon as a ''very severe cyclonic storm''. It is expected to bring in winds of 155 to 165 kmph, gusting up to 180 kmph.
"Consistent efforts of the ICG ensured all 265 boats reported at sea by fisheries authorities safely returned harbour," the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) tweeted.
It said its disaster response teams, ships and aircraft are on standby.
Moreover, the ICG is maintaining close liaison with state administrations and other stakeholders to deal with any situation, the coast guard said.
I request all those in cyclone prone areas to move to shelter homes: Odisha Chief Minister