Cyclone Yaas , which formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday, is likely to intensify into a “very severe storm” by May 25, the I...

Cyclone Yaas, which formed over east-central Bay of Bengal on Saturday, is likely to intensify into a “very severe storm” by May 25, the India Meteorological Department said. The cyclone will move north-northwestwards and reach West Bengal, north Odisha and Bangladesh coasts around May 26 morning and cross the area by evening, the weather forecasting agency said.
GK Das, the director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Kolkata, said the wind speed is expected to reach 90-100 km per hour gusting to 110 kmph from May 26, reported the Hindustan Times. “As of now it is unlikely to match the intensity of Amphan,” said Das.
Amphan was a cyclonic storm that hit West Bengal in May last year and led to the deaths of at least 86 people. The cyclone, the strongest on record in the Bay of Bengal, knocked down huge trees, snapped power lines and upturned cars. The winds blew apart some buildings, while ropes of rain sent thousands of poor villagers rushing to evacuation shelters.
On Saturday, the weather agency said that light and moderate rainfall is expected in most areas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and heavy to very heavy rains in isolated regions on Saturday and Sunday.
Gangetic West Bengal and north...