Cyclone ‘Yash’ will bring devastation like Amfan, IMD officials alert

Another cyclone ‘Yash’ is expected to hit the east coast on May 26-27 after the severe cyclonic storm Toute arrived on the west coast. The meteorological department itself has given this information. The department said that a low-pressure area is likely to form over North Andaman Sea and East Central Bay of Bengal on May 22, which could then become a cyclonic storm in 72 hours. The cyclone warning division of the department said that it could move northwestwards and reach the coasts of West Bengal-Odisha by the evening of 26 May. IMD officials have issued an alert for Hurricane Yas. He said that light to moderate rainfall may occur in West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Meghalaya from May 25 onwards. The department said that after this the rain will intensify.

Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary M Rajeevan said that cyclonic circulation is expected to form in the Bay of Bengal on 23 May. Rajeevan said that there is a possibility of it turning into a cyclone and hitting the coast of West Bengal and Odisha. He said that it would not be as severe as the Toute cyclone, which had taken the form of a very severe cyclonic storm.

Cyclones are often seen along the east and west coasts in the months preceding the monsoon, April-May. In May 2020, the east coast was knocked off by the massive cyclonic storm Amfan and the west coast by the severe cyclonic storm Nisarg.
Yas, the storm that came last year can be as fast as Amfan. Sunita Devi, who is eyeing cyclones in IMD, said that we cannot deny the intensity like Amfan. The good thing is that the current models are showing that the system is moving very fast over the ocean. When its time over the sea is reduced, its intensity will be restricted.
Authorities in Odisha have started preparations for the cyclone. Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep K. Jena held a preparedness meeting with the collectors of 10 coastal districts on Wednesday along with the SP, fire department officials and emergency officials. He directed the district authorities to identify relief shelters, check facilities and infrastructure and deploy staff and prepare evacuation plans.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday directed senior government officials to make all necessary arrangements. Banerjee directed the authorities to arrange adequate stocks of medicines, drinking water, dry food and tarpaulins. Warning that the sea conditions will worsen from worst to worst, the Meteorological Department has advised fishermen not to venture into the Bay of Bengal from May 24. Significantly, in the pre-monsoon months of April and May, cyclones usually form on the eastern as well as west coast.