Cyclone Yaas hits Odisha coast

Balasore and Bhadrak districts in Odisha witnessed wind speed reaching 130 kmph to 140 kmph and gusting up to 150 kmph when the tropical storm hit the coast.

Cyclone Yaas pounded the beach towns in north Odisha and West Bengal as it hit the coast around 9 am on Wednesday with a wind speed of 130-140 kmph. (Photo | Special Arrangement) 

The location of the landfall was north of Dhamra in Odisha's Bhadrak district and 50 km south of Balasore, close to Bahanaga block, on the coast. (Photo | Special Arrangement)

The wind speed during landfall was at 130-140 kmph, gusting to 155 kmph, as per Doppler radar data. (Photo | PTI)

Rough sea in the Bay of Bengal ahead of Cyclone 'Yaas' landfall, at Digha in East Midnapore district. (Photo | PTI)

The wind will slow down by the evening and the cyclone is likely to leave Odisha for Jharkhand by midnight. (Photo | PTI)

There was no report of any major damage in Odisha though some incidents of trees getting uprooted have taken place. (Photo | Special Arrangement)

Chandbali in Bhadrak district received 27.3 cm rainfall, the highest amount of rainfall in the last 24 hours in Odisha. (Photo | Special Arrangement)

The IMD has forecast massive storm surge for some places like Mohanpur in Bhadrak where the sea water may ingress 9 km into the land. (Photo | PTI)

The West Bengal government has opened a centralised control room at the state secretariat and several small control rooms in the coastal areas. (Photo | PTI)

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said most parts of the state were affected by the cyclone and the rain it brought along. (Photo | PTI)

Restoration works for power lines have started in some places in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Jajpur district after cables were snapped. (Photo | Biswanath Swain, EPS)

Odisha shifted 5.8 lakh people to safer places, while West Bengal moved 15 lakh people ahead of the cyclone. (Photo | Biswanath Swain, EPS)

Heavy rainfall in the Similipal National Park in Mayurbhanj district sparked fears of a flash flood in the Budhabalang river. (Photo | Biswanath Swain, EPS)

Seawater entered several villages in Bahanaga and Remuna blocks in the Balasore district and Dhamra and Basudevpur in the Bhadrak district. (Photo | Biswanath Swain, EPS)