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Even as India’s s western coast battles the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae that ravaged Gujarat and Maharashtra, another cyclonic storm, Cyclone Yaas, is closing in on the eastern coast. The Centre has issued warnings for both Odisha and West Bengal ahead of the cyclonic storms projected impact on May 26.
In its latest update, the Indian Meteorological Department has said a low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal today (Saturday), which is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday.
The probability of formation of a depression over the next 72-120 hours over the Bay of Bengal is high, said the latest bulletin issued by the IMD on Friday night.
The cyclonic storm, which has been named Cyclone Yaas, is likely to move northwestwards and reach the Odisha-West Bengal coast on May 26.
However , IMD has stated that the Cyclone Yaas is unlikely to have the intensity like that of Cyclone Amphan last year.
Cyclone Yaas, which may hit the West Bengal coast on May 26, is unlikely to match the intensity of Amphan, which had assumed the shape of a Super Cyclone last year at about the same time.
Probability is highest that Yaas will hit the West Bengal coast after intensifying into a very severe cyclone. As of now it is unlikely to match the intensity of Amphan, said GK Das, director of the IMDs regional office in Kolkata.
On May 25, the wind speed along the West Bengal coastline, while the cyclone is still at sea, would be around 50-60 km per hours gusting up to 70 km per hour. In the early hours of May 26, the wind speed would be around 6070 km per hour and gusting up to 80 km per hour.
Amphan had hit the Sunderbans in south Bengal on May 20 last year with a wind speed of 155165 km per hour and gusting up to 185 km per hour. It had killed 98 people while pummelling through six districts.
