Another tropical cyclone, called Yas, will hit India within 24 hours, this time in the northeastern part of the country.
Last week, a tropical cyclone knock hit the northwestern part of the country, causing flooding and storms in the region, including Mumbai. Taukata was the most powerful storm to hit the west coast of India and killed more than 100 people.
Before the arrival of Yas, the state of West Bengal has planned to evacuate at least 10 lakh people, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a press conference on Monday. Aid Commissioner Kamal Mishra said that at least 19,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying areas in the state of Odisha.
Yas is aiming for an India that still deals with the devastating wave of Kovid-19 despite the recent reduction in the number of new daily cases.
Mishra said that in Odisha, 6,600 temporary rescue centers have been set up, in addition to the 890 permanent shelters already in place to allow for adequate social segregation. Banerjee said that four thousand shelter sites have been built in West Bengal.
Agency Director General Satya Pradhan said that at least 45 teams of National Disaster Response Force (NRDF) have been sent to West Bengal and 52 to Odisha.
Yas continues to gain strength
Yas gained strength during the final day in the Bay of Bengal region, and is likely to intensify further, with Tuesday’s winds being close to the equivalent of a Category 1 hurricane.
Hot water will make the cyclone even more intense before hitting the ground. The sea surface temperature in the north of the region is estimated to be up to 34ºC.
The storm is also moving in an atmosphere with low wind barrier, which will allow it to strengthen. When this barrier is high, it can weaken and even destroy the cyclone.
The local time of Yas is expected to reach the coast of West Bengal by midday on Wednesday (26), between Paradip and Sagar islands north of Odisha. Winds are currently running at a speed of 120 km / h and are expected to run at the same speed.
Heavy rains can cause flooding in Northeast India with 150 to 250 mm of rain. There will also be storms along the coast of Odisha and Kolkata with 2 to 4 meters of flooding.
CNN meteorologist Pedram Zaheri said, “The northern part of the Bay of Bengal is flooded by storms, partly due to the triangular shape of the Gulf’s beginnings, which carry water to Bangladesh and northeastern India.” “26 of the world’s 35 deadliest cyclones occurred here”.
Cyclones and Covid-19 in India
Last year, Cyclone Amfan hit land near Kolkata with winds of 165 km / h, recording one of the most intense hurricanes ever in the Indian Ocean. Despite losing strength, it still killed dozens of people in India and Bangladesh.
Around 6 thousand cases of Kovid-19 were reported in India at the time of Ampham’s arrival in May 2020. On this Tuesday (25), the country registered more than 196 thousand new cases.
“This cyclone seems to be a dual problem for millions of people in India, as there is no time since Kovid-19. The country is in the grip of another major cyclone in two weeks, in areas where infections and deaths break records Uday Regmi, head of the South Asian Red Cross delegation, said.
Around 90 cyclones hit North India or West Bangladesh with winds of at least 120 km / h. Tropical cyclones can form throughout the year in the northern Indian Ocean, but are more common during the monsoon season.
Meteorologist Jaheri said, “In the last 20 years, there have been only three years in which no cyclones were seen in the pre-monsoon season in 2005, 2011 and 2012.”
From CNN in New Delhi, with information by Isha Mitra
(Translated text, read In native english)
