New Delhi: Less than a week after Cyclone Tauktae wreaked havoc in India’s multiple states including Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, another storm forecasted to be titled ‘Yaas’ is set to make its landfall. However, this time the cyclone may hit India’s eastern coastline along the Bay of Bengal. The cyclone ‘Yaas’ is expected to make its landfall in next week (around May 26), somewhere along the shore in Odisha or West Bengal.
Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) said, “It is very likely to intensify gradually into a cyclonic storm during the subsequent 72 hours. It is very likely to move northwestwards and reach West Bengal - Odisha coasts around May 26 evening.”
It also informed that the southwest monsoon is very likely to advance over south Andaman Sea and adjacent southeast Bay of Bengal around May 21 in association with the likely firming and deepening of southwesterly winds over the province.
Other atmospheric and oceanic environments such as conducive environment for convection, surface temperatures of sea are favourable for persistent cloudiness over Andaman and nearby areas of east-central and southeast Bay of Bengal around Friday. These conditions will help in creation of a low-pressure area over north Andaman Sea and adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal around May 22.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has advised all the fishermen from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Odisha, to return to the shores before the storm begins taking its shape.
NDMA on its Twitter handle shared, “New Low Pressure area likely to form in Bay of Bengal around 22 May To intensify into a Cyclonic Storm and reach West Bengal and Odisha Coast by 26 May. Sea conditions to remain rough in Bay of Bengal from 21 May onwards. Fishermen requested to return to shores. #CycloneAlert.”
HEAVY RAINS IN NORTH-EAST REGION
The IMD has predicted heavy rainfall from May 25, especially in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and other states including Odisha, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Assam. According to weather department, the intensity of the rainfall will increase substantially. Last year during same period, Cyclone Amphan had hit many coastal districts of West Bengal leading to severe destruction before finally making its landfall in Bangladesh. April-May are the pre-monsoon months which usually register formation of cyclones on the eastern as well as the western coast.
The severity of Cyclone Yaas has taken the internet by storm as people have started panicking after the destruction Cyclone Tauktae has left along the western coast.
HOW YAAS GOT ITS NAME
The World Meteorological Organisation and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UN ESCAP) led Panel on Tropical Cyclones – a global body which also includes regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMC) as well as tropical cyclone warning centres -- creates the names of the cyclones.
The panel comprising 13 nations, including India, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka and Thailand, name cyclones in the region. In 2020, a new list of names was released that had over 169 names of cyclones, having 13 suggested names each from 13 nations. The name of the new cyclone 'Yaas' is given by Oman. Yaas means despair or disappointment.
TAUKTAE WREAKS HAVOC
Even as the western coast continued to battle the impact of the fury of rains and gusty winds, the effect of Tauktae was witnessed as far as northwest India where its remainder interacted with a western disturbance on Wednesday to report “fairly widespread to widespread rains in the region”.
Heavy to very heavy rains were registered in Uttarakhand along with, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, northeast Rajasthan, North Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, the IMD said. Meanwhile, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka witnessed huge damage amid cyclone Tauktae.