Cyclone Yaas To Hit North Odisha By Noon, Bengal On Big Warns: 10 Highlights

Cyclone Yaas To Hit North Odisha By Noon, Bengal On Big Warns: 10 Highlights

Cyclone Yaas is expected to make landfall – between Odisha’s Dhamra and Balasore – by noon, with winds of up to 140 km per hour and blast of 155 km per hour. At 7.30 am it was about 45 km east of Dhamra and 50 km south-southeast of Balasore.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

1.Cyclone Yaas has begun the landfall process, the India Meteorological Department said at 9 am. Visuals from Bengal’s Digha and South 24 Paraganas districts showed strong winds and waves lashing the coast, and some coastal areas already flooded, with people paddle through knee-deep water on roads along the sea front.

2. A dramatic video shot by the NDRF in Ramnagar block in Bengal’s Purba Medinipur showed strongest waves pounding houses; the video seemed as if half the village had been dragged underwater, and the other half would be washed away by the next wave.

3. Around 2.5 lakh people have been moved from low-lying regions in Odisha. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held meetings Tuesday night to review preparations. Special Relief Commissioner PK Jena said arrangements – including supply of oxygen and electricity – have been made for Covid hospitals in vulnerable regions.

4. Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts are likely to be affected. In Bengal, West Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas districts – and Kolkata – may experience stormy weather with wind speeds of up to 120 km per hour.

5. Over 11.5 lakh people have been take away from places along the Bengal coast, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Tuesday, adding she would spend the following two nights at her office – ‘Nabanna’ – to monitor Yaas’ impact and subsequent relief efforts.

6. The Army, meanwhile, has deployed 17 integrated relief columns in Bengal. Nine are in Kolkata and the rest are in Purulia, Birbhum, Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Nadia and North 24 Parganas districts of the state. The columns are equipped to undertake evacuations, offer medical treatment, clear roads and distribute relief material, and will work with the local administration.

7. A record 115 National Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed. Visuals tweeted by agency chief SN Pradhan this morning showed NDRF teams already hard at work clearing roads of fallen branches or trees and evacuating people from coastal villages and towns.

8. Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport will be closed till 7.45 pm. The Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar has been closed till 5 am Thursday. The Veer Surendra Sai Airport in Odisha’s Jharsuguda is shut till 7.45 pm Thursday. The Durgapur and Rourkela airports will stay closed today.

9. Indian Railways has announced the cancellation of at least 38 long-distance passenger trains headed to both Kolkata and southern states. These services will remain cancelled till Saturday, a Northeast Frontier Railways statement quoted by news agency ANI said. Passengers scheduled to travel on these trains will have ticket charges refunded.

10. The Indian Navy – which played a critical role in search and rescue efforts after Tauktae swept past the west coast last week – has made similar arrangements ahead of Yaas’ landfall. All naval efforts will be supported by Eastern Naval Command Headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

Digi Skynet

Digi Skynet

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