Cyclone ‘Yaas’, which formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday, is likely to intensify into a “very severe storm” by Tuesday and move north-northwestwards and reach the coast of Bangladesh, West Bengal and north Odisha around Wednesday morning and cross the area by evening, the India Meteorological Department has said.
The wind speed was expected to reach 90-100km per hour gusting to 110kmph from Wednesday, the Hindustan Times quoted GK Das, director of the met office in Kolkata, saying.
“As of now it is unlikely to match the intensity of Amphan,” said Das.
Super cyclone Amphan hit Bangladesh in May last year and claimed at least 31 lives.
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Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said on Sunday the low pressure that formed over the East Central Bay and adjoining areas might eventually turn into a cyclonic storm.
“It is likely to intensify into a depression and further into a deep depression and then into a Cyclonic storm.
“Trough of low lies over West Bengal and adjoining areas,” the weather forecasting agency said.
It might turn into a depression as early as Sunday evening, said meteorologist Shahnaj Sultana.
The country's four seaports — Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra — have been asked to hoist distant cautionary signal No 1, and all fishing boats and trawlers in the sea have been asked not to venture too deep and return to the coast by Monday.
Cyclone Yaas comes days after another cyclone, Tauktae, wreaked havoc in multiple Indian states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, leading to around 57 deaths in the two states.
