BHUBANESWAR: The tropical storm brewing over east-central Bay of Bengal is very likely to head towards north Odisha-West Bengal coast by Wednesday evening as a very severe cyclonic storm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the very severe cyclonic storm will continue to move north-northwestwards and intensify further before reaching north-west Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and north Odisha coast by Wednesday morning.
"It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coast between Paradip and Sagar Island as a very severe cyclonic storm by Wednesday evening," said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Director HR Biswas.
The north coastal districts - Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Cuttack are expected to be severely affected by the tropical storm. The state government has initiated steps for evacuation of people from coastal areas of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore apartment from some areas of Mayurbhanj district. Latest satellite images and ocean buoy observations have indicated that the low pressure area which formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday became well marked over the same region later in the evening. The well-marked low pressure intensified into a depression over east-central Bay of Bengal at 11.30 am on Sunday and lay centered about 560 km north-northwest of Port Blair, 590 km east-southeast of Paradip, 690 km south-southeast of Balasore and 670 km south-southeast of Digha.
It is very likely to move north-northwestwards, intensify into a cyclonic storm by Monday morning and further into a very severe cyclonic storm in the subsequent 24 hours. Under the influence of the tropical storm, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri and Khurda districts, and heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Ganjam districts on Tuesday.
Light to moderate rainfall or thundershower activity is likely to occur at most places in coastal Odisha, at many places in north interior region and at few places in south interior districts during the period. The regional Met office has issued a red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts, and for extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts on Wednesday. On the same day, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in Dhenkanal, Angul, Deogarh, Khurda and Sundargarh districts, and light to moderate rainfall or thundershower activity is expected at most places in north Odisha and at a few places in southern districts. Squally wind speed reaching 40 km/hr to 50 km/hr and gusting up to 60 km/hr will prevail over north Bay of Bengal, along and off Odisha-West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts from Monday evening.
The wind speed will be reaching 50 km/hr to 60 km per hour and gusting up to 70 kmph from Tuesday evening. Wind speed will further increase, becoming gale and reaching 60 km/hr to 70 km/hr and gusting up to 80 kmph from Wednesday morning along and off West Bengal, adjoining north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts. The regional Met office said the wind speed will be reaching 90 kmph to 100 kmph and gusting up to 110 kmph from Wednesday afternoon and will increase further till the evening. Private weather forecaster Skymet said, "Likely cyclone over the east-central Bay of Bengal is developing fast. The cyclonic storm is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and further to a very severe cyclonic storm by May 25. It will move north-west to head for West Bengal and north Odisha coast. Landfall is expected on May 26 during the later half of the day."
Though the exact place and time of crossing the coastline with precision will need another 24 hours, West Bengal and Odisha border is the preferred location for a strike. Extremely heavy rains and high-velocity winds in excess of 150 kmph are expected over the sea and coastal parts, it added Once intensified, it will be called cyclone 'Yaas' named by Oman. This will be the second cyclone to hit the Indian coast within 10 days after cyclone Tauktae that crossed Gujarat on May 17.