Cyclone Yaas: Severe cyclonic storm likely to cross Odisha-Bengal coasts on May 26 evening

New Delhi, May 24: In a recent development, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the depression over eastcentral Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm, Yaas, and is likely to intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm (wind speed of 118 to 166 kmph) during the subsequent 24 hours.

It is reportedly said that Yaas would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by Wednesday morning.

Though oceanic and atmospheric conditions over Bay of Bengal are favourable for intensification of Yaas, experts hope it will not intensify to an extremely severe cyclone because it has formed close to the coast and has less time over the unusually warm ocean.

"#CycloneYaas will become the second intense tropical cyclone (severe cyclonic storm or above as per the IMD scale) to have formed to the north of 15°N latitude & west of 88°E longitude in the month of May since 1980. Previously, Cyclone Aila had formed over this region in 2009," Akshay Deoras, an independent meteorologist and researcher at the University of Reading, England, tweeted.

"Since tropical cyclones generally form further to the south over the Bay of Bengal, #CycloneYaas will become the most intense tropical cyclone that formed so close to #Odisha & #WestBengal coasts in the month of May since 1980 & made landfall over these regions," he added.