Cyclone Yaas to make landfall today; Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand to receive light to moderate rainfall, thousands evacuated

New Delhi: Cyclone Yaas, which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm, will make landfall in Odisha on Wednesday morning, triggering light to moderate rainfall in Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand.

According to the IMD, the Cyclone Yaas will make landfall near Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district early on Wednesday morning. "CycloneYaas is 'very likely' to move north-northwestwards to reach near north Odisha coast close to the north of Dhamra & south of Balasore by noon today, as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with a wind speed of 130-140 kmph (issued at 0300 hrs),'' the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

#CycloneYaas is 'very likely' to move north-northwestwards to reach near north Odisha coast close to north of Dhamra & south of Balasore by noon today, as a 'very severe cyclonic storm' with wind speed of 130-140 kmph (issued at 0300 hrs): India Meteorological Department (IMD) pic.twitter.com/iiHZxuOz1I — ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2021

Ahead of the landfall, the governments in West Bengal and Odisha have evacuated lakhs of people from vulnerable areas to safer places as a precautionary measure. 

The MeT department has also predicted heavy to extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in these states. "Light to moderate rainfall expected at most places in Odisha with heavy to very heavy rains at few places with extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Balasore, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara, and Keonjhargarh today," IMD said.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sent Minister of State for Home, DS Mishra to Balasore to monitor the situation in the northern parts of the state. 

Jena said the four coastal districts of Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are in the high-risk zone, while the impact of ‘Yaas’ will also be felt in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Dhenkanal, Angul, and parts of Puri and Khurda districts.

Putting out a warning also for Jharkhand the weather forecasting department said that light to moderate rainfall is expected at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places today and tomorrow.

"Light-moderate rainfall at most places, extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Medinipur and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Bankura, Jhargram, South 24 Parganas and heavy falls at isolated areas like Kolkata, Nadia among others today," the Met department added.

IMD earlier informed that the Cyclone is "very likely" to reach near north Odisha coast close to Bhadrak`s Dhamra port by the early morning of May 26. 

Ahead of the landfall, Jharkhand has evacuated people from vulnerable areas in East and West Singhbhum districts near the borders of West Bengal and Odisha and moved them to safety.

Meanwhile, the South Eastern Railways has announced the cancellation of several passenger special trains till Wednesday.