Cyclone Yaas may hit West Bengal on May 26, Mamata reviews preparations

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a high-level meeting on Thursday with secretaries and officials of disaster management authority to discuss about the preparations after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) alerted that cyclone Yaas may hit the West Bengal coast by May 26. Chief Secretary, Health Secretary, and officials of disaster management authority attended the meet.

According to the national forecasting agency, Yaas is likely to hit the West Bengal coast by May 26. The cyclone's formation is likely to commence by May 22. National Weather Forecasting Centre IMD's senior scientist R K Jenamani on Thursday informed about the deciphered facts by the weather department and said, "The formation of cyclone Yaas will be forming by May 22 in the north of Bay of Bengal. It is likely to move in the northwest direction and will form into a complete cyclonic storm by May 26. By the evening of May 26, it will hit Odisha and West Bengal coast."

However, further details about the wind speed and the landfall of the cyclone will be given by May 22, he added. Earlier, Jenamani had notified that Odisha and West Bengal will experience heavy rainfall from May 22 to 26.

"Low pressure of the new cyclonic storm is expected to start forming in the Bay of Bengal by May 22. May 23 should mark the depression stage, and the final cyclonic storm is expected to hit by May 24-25," he had said. Meanwhile, cyclone Tauktae has significantly weakened, informed the senior scientist.