Causing extensive damage, Cyclone Yaas made its landfall at Balasore in Odisha at 9:15 am on Wednesday, 26 May, after intensifying into a ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm on Tuesday.
The low-lying areas and coastal towns of north Odisha and neighbouring West Bengal were severely hit by the storm with a speed of 130-140 kmph. The cyclone completed the landfall process around 1 pm, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
The cyclonic storm is likely to move further northwestwards and weaken into a 'deep depression', the IMD said on Wednesday evening.
The rainfall due to the cyclone is expected to continue till Thursday and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea till it subsides.
While flight operations at Kolkata airport were suspended from 8:30 am till 7:45 pm on Wednesday, the Bhubaneswar airport remained shut till 7 pm. Earlier, the Biju Patnaik International Airport was to be closed till 5 am on Thursday.
Houses Damaged in Odisha & Bengal, Lakhs Evacuated
In Odisha, more than 3 lakh people were evacuated from low-lying, vulnerable areas while the West Bengal government evacuated around 15 lakh to relief shelters.
In Bengal, at least three lakh houses suffered damage due to the rough weather conditions. According to Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, at least 1 crore people in the state have been affected so far.
The Indian Army deployed 17 integrated relief columns, comprising specialised personnel with necessary equipment and inflatable boats in West Bengal.
Banerjee said that she will visit areas affected by the cyclone and high tide in Purba Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas on 28 May.
Twenty-two teams of NDRF and SDRF were deployed in the districts of Bihar, adjoining Jharkhand and West Bengal.
The effect of Yaas was witnessed in several districts of Bihar, such as Katihar, Khagaria, Madhepura, Saharsa, Supaul, Nawada, Lakhisarai, Aurangabad, Patna, Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali.
The cyclone is expected to reach Jharkhand by Thursday morning.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)