Cyclone Yaas: Union Minister Amit Shah takes stock of preparedness, chairs meeting with AP, WB, Odisha CMs

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday took stock of preparedness with Chief Ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to deal with cyclonic storm Yaas (pronounced as 'Yass') in the Bay of Bengal. Shah took the meeting through video conference, and also interacted with the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands to review the preparations in view of cyclone 'Yaas'.

The cyclone in Bay of Bengal laid centred at 5.30 am on Monday near latitude 16.3 degree north and longitude 89.7 degree east, about 600 km north-northwest of Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 540 km south-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 650 km south-southeast of Balasore (Odisha) and 630 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal).

It is very likely to move slowly north-northwestwards, intensify further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during the next 24 hours and into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24 hours, said National Weather Forecasting Centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD). "The cyclone would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by May 26 early morning," the IMD said.

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"It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around May 26 noon as a very severe cyclonic storm. Under the influence of a Western disturbance, thunderstorms and lightning accompanied with isolated to fairly widespread rainfall is likely over the Western Himalayan Region and isolated rainfall and thunderstorm over plains of northwest India during the next 24 hours. Isolated dust storm also very likely over Rajasthan during next 24 hours," said the IMD. Besides, strong surface or dust-raising winds (25-35 kmph) is likely over Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during the next three days.