BHUBANESWAR: In the large band between Paradip and Sagar Islands, weather agencies finally have some agreement that Cyclone Yaas would make landfall - most probably - near Dhamra in Bhadrak district on Wednesday morning.
India Meteorological Department says the storm, upgraded into a severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday, would intensify further and make landfall to the north of Dhamra and south of Balasore. The State Government said, the landfall could be between Bahanaga (Balasore) and Basudevpur (Bhadrak).
Interestingly, Joint Typhoon Warning Centre said, the system may cross land near Bhitarkanika National Park, close to Dhamra. Its Warning No 7, however, changed location to Budhabalanga Estuary, to the north of Chandipur. There was also difference when it came to maximum sustained wind the storm would pack in when it approached the coast during early morning and noon.
National forecaster IMD stuck to its prediction that gale wind speed reaching 155 km/hr to 165 km/hr and gusting up to 185 km/hr will prevail over northwest Bay of Bengal, along and off north Odisha, adjoining West Bengal coasts including in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts on Wednesday morning. Puri, Cuttack, Khurda and Jajpur districts will witness wind speed reaching 80 km/hr to 90 km/hr and gusting up to 100 km/hr during the period.
Yaas is here for landfall, will it pack power?
Private forecaster Skymet said Yaas will spare a direct hit over West Bengal and strike the Odisha coast between Balasore and Paradip as a very severe cyclonic storm with winds in excess of 150 km per hour and gusting up to 170 km per hour.
"Coastal wave height is likely to be about 4 meter over and above the astronomical tide," the Skymet forecast read. However, JTWC said, the maximum sustained speed would be 65 knots (120 km) with gusts hitting 85 knots (155 km).
It said, after landfall, the system would dissipate quickly with wind intensity dropping to 45 knots (85 km). The system has been moving north-northwestwards with a speed of about 15 km/hr during last six hours and lay centered at about 150 km southeast of Paradip on the day.
"It will continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach the north Odisha coast close to Dhamra Port by early Wednesday morning. It is very likely to cross coast as a very severe cyclonic storm later in the day," said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist Umasankar Das.
The regional Met office has issued a red warning for heavy to very heavy rainfall at few places and extremely heavy rainfall in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal districts on Wednesday.
One or two places in Angul, Deogarh, Khurda, Puri and Sundargarh districts are likely to witness heavy rainfall during the period.