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.