'Very severe cyclonic storm' Yaas has weakened into a 'severe cyclonic storm' and, at 12.30 pm, was centred over north coastal Odisha - around 15 km from Balasore. It is expected to move north-northwest and weaken further into a 'cyclonic storm'. 185 km per hour winds were predicted but revised to 130-140 km per hour after Yaas failed to intensify past 2 am.
Yaas is likely to move over Odisha's Mayurbhanj district later today, with 100-110 km per hour winds, before weakening and turning toward Jharkhand by midnight. Visuals from Ranchi show increased wind speeds and overcast skies. The state is on high alert and officials have begun evacuations from vulnerable areas like east and west Singhbhum.
In Bengal, around 20,000 mud houses and temporary shelters were either destroyed or damaged, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters this afternoon. Bengal minister Bankim Hazra said: "I have not seen anything like this before" after sea waters inundated low-lying areas in Digha, where a police station was flooded.
Around 5.8 lakh people have been shifted from low-lying regions in Odisha and around 11.5 lakh from places along the Bengal coast. Chief ministers of both states held review meetings Tuesday, with particular focus on arrangements - including supply of oxygen and electricity - for Covid hospitals in vulnerable regions. Ms Banerjee will spend tonight at her office - "Nabanna" - to monitor Yaas' impact and subsequent relief efforts.
Here are the Live Updates on Cyclone Yaas:
Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA), #Bhubaneswar is now operational from 1900 hrs on 26/05/2021 for flight operations post #CycloneYass: informs Director @aaibpiairport @PMOIndia @HardeepSPuri @MoCA_GoI @DGCAIndia pic.twitter.com/r8cPu4xc1J
- PIB in Odisha (@PIBBhubaneswar) May 26, 2021
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today reviewed the post cyclone situation in the state and announced seven days of relief for all families of 128 marooned villages in the cyclone-affected districts.
Major roads will be restored for communication in the next 24 hours and 80% of the electricity supply will be restored in affected district in the next 24 hours.
The Chief minister congratulated all the Panchayat representatives, district administrations, community organisations, and the police for their work in evacuating people. He also thanked the doctors and health workers for their continuous services in the affected districts during Cyclone Yaas.
Cyclone Yaas likely to move northwestwards and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm during next hour. The current intensity near centre is 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph, the MeT department said in a bulletin.
Urged upon MPs from Odisha, West Bengal & other states affected by cyclone 'Yaas' to help the people in this crisis and make efforts to alleviate their sufferings by providing support to them . #Yaas
- Lok Sabha Speaker (@loksabhaspeaker) May 26, 2021
The transportation of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) from Odisha remained unhindered even during the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas today, reported news agency ANI.
According to an official release, four oxygen tankers were transported from Angul to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam today, while two were transported from Jajpur to Berhampur and Bhubaneswar, under close supervision and escort from Odisha Police.
Several roads adjoining the sea beaches in Bengal's Digha lay inundated, with some people seen wading through chest-deep water, as the tourist town and its adjoining places bore the brunt of Cyclone Yaas, which made its landfall in Odisha today, reported news agency PTI.
Many areas in Purba Medinipur, of which Digha is a part, and South 24 Parganas were whiplashed by heavy rain, which accompanied the cyclonic storm.
Security personnel have been deployed at all vulnerable locations in the state to help and rescue people caught in the storm, a senior police officer said.
Odisha | Heavy rain damages Jamujhadi Road in Bhadrak district. Road restoration work is underway. #CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/QJY1i5TiHi
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
Jharkhand On High Alert, Evacuation On As Cyclone Yaas May Reach State TonightJharkhand, which was put on high alert, continued evacuating low-lying areas today amid the forecast that cyclone Yaas would be hitting the state by midnight after pounding neighbouring Odisha and West Bengal, officials said.
Cyclone Yaas has completed the process of landfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, while advising fishermen not to go venture to sea for the rest of the day, reported news agency ANI.
"Cyclone Yaas has complete the process of landfall. Rainfall will continue till tomorrow. Fishermen are advised to not venture out till tomorrow morning because the sea condition going to be rough," Umashankar Das, Senior Scientist at the Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar told the news agency.
The process of landfall started around 9 am today between Dhamra and Balasore in Odisha. High-speed winds uprooted many trees and heavy showers lashed several parts of the state.
#CycloneYaasUPDATE-26/5/21 @NDRFHQ #Committed2Serve 🇮🇳
- ѕαtчα prαdhαnसत्य नारायण प्रधान ସତ୍ଯପ୍ରଧାନ-DG NDRF (@satyaprad1) May 26, 2021
🔸#NDRF @ WORK 24x7
🔸Responding to Call of Duty
🔸RestorationWork
🔸Road Clearance
🔸Bardhaman Dist
🔸WB@PMOIndia @HMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs @BhallaAjay26 @ANI @PIBKolkata @12bnndrf pic.twitter.com/JXVtHy35y4
#CycloneYaasUPDATE-26/5/21 @NDRFHQ #Committed2Serve 🇮🇳
- ѕαtчα prαdhαnसत्य नारायण प्रधान ସତ୍ଯପ୍ରଧାନ-DG NDRF (@satyaprad1) May 26, 2021
🔸#NDRF @ WORK 24x7
🔸Responding to Call of Duty
🔸Rescuing stranded citizens
🔸Flooding/High-Waterlogging
🔸Konaichota,Contai-2
🔸E Medinipur,WB@PMOIndia @HMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs @BhallaAjay26 @ANI @PIBKolkata pic.twitter.com/re80iChvCN
As many as 15,04,506 people have been evacuated from the vulnerable areas in the state and moved to safer places, Mamata Banerjee said, reported news agency PTI.
"We will be conducting field surveys to get a final estimate... It will take us at least 72 hours to get a clearer idea," she added.
At least one crore people have been affected and three lakh houses damaged in West Bengal due to the rough weather conditions due to Cyclone Yaas, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said today, reported news agency PTI.
One person has died "accidentally" when he went out to fish, she said.
Cautioning people that high tide in the sea caused by the storm surge will persist, Ms Banerjee claimed that Bengal happens to be the "most-affected state" by the cyclone.
Odisha | Relief work underway due to heavy rainfall under the impact of #CycloneYaas with NDRF and fire team clearing uprooted trees from roads, in Dhamra. pic.twitter.com/bN8XAq2Ty4
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
Odisha: Fishing boats at Paradeep jetty damaged due to #CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/043MQfsBBE
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
Jagatsinghpur ODRAF (Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force) team clearing roads in Paradeep Municipal area: Odisha Police#CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/QAJz9uGZn9
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
#WATCH | Jharkhand: Ranchi experiences a change in weather in wake of #CycloneYaas.
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
As per IMD, the state will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today & tomorrow with extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places. pic.twitter.com/Cm9g4v4wdg
#CycloneYaas#IndianArmy Teams are carrying out #Rescue and Relief Operations. Teams have rescued large number of persons in #Howrah #WestBengal. #Logistics & #MedicalAid being extended to the locals.#IndianArmy#NationFirst pic.twitter.com/I17h5plpNa
- ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) May 26, 2021
Gusty wind with heavy rain in Paradip,#Odisha as #CycloneYass approaches Odisha coast.@PIB_India @MIB_India@moesgoi @PIBHomeAffairs @NDRFHQ @PradeepJenaIAS @SRC_Odisha @CollectorJspur pic.twitter.com/xFCBzMVfrO
- PIB in Odisha (@PIBBhubaneswar) May 26, 2021
West Bengal expected to receive isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall today. Jharkhand will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall today & tomorrow with extremely heavy rainfall in isolated places: IMD DG Mrutyunjay Mohapatra#CycloneYaas
- ANI (@ANI) 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
#WATCH | Some fishermen seen near the sea, even as it turns turbulent in Gopalpur of Ganjam district in wake of #CycloneYaas. Meteorological Department, Gopalpur has announced a Yellow alert in the district. pic.twitter.com/Tp5ButvwjX
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
#WATCH | West Bengal: Water from the sea enters residential areas along New Digha Sea Beach in East Midnapore.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas centred about 50 km South-Southeast of Balasore (Odisha). Landfall process has commenced around 9 am, says IMD. #CycloneYaas pic.twitter.com/8m667Py8Ec
Odisha: Relief material for #CycloneYaas affected people being provided by Indian Navy. INS Chilka at Khurda has made all necessary arrangements, to coordinate the operations in close liasion with State Govt agencies with the support of HQ Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam. pic.twitter.com/t7BvqHMN4x
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
#WATCH | Odisha: Paradeep experiences strong winds & heavy rainfall#CycloneYaas lay centred over northwest Bay of Bengal, about 40 km east of Dhamra (Odisha), 90 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) & 90 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha), as per IMD update at 6:45 am pic.twitter.com/41jEByvn2b
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
We are expecting 'very severe cyclonic storm' #CycloneYaas to make landfall by noon today with wind speed of 130-140 kmph gusting 155 kmph: Umashankar Das, senior scientist at IMD Bhubaneswar#Odisha pic.twitter.com/gEyY2seDnv
- ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2021
