Cyclone Yaas: Heavy rains across Kerala, yellow alert in 9 districts

Thiruvananthapuram: Cyclonic storm Yaas will reach the West Bengal-Odisha coast by Wednesday noon, the India Meteorological Department said.

Widespread rain is likely in Kerala under the cyclone’s influence, though the State is not in its trajectory. Yellow alert has been issued to nine districts, Kozhikode, Palakkad, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram, which may receive heavy rain.

The rain’s intensity will decrease from Thursday. Kerala has not issued specific alerts to fishermen.

The VSCS ‘Yaas’ is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha coast to the north of Dhamra and south of Balasore during noon of today, the 26th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. The Cyclone is being tracked by Doppler Weather RADAR at Paradip. pic.twitter.com/9S7I0jmiu9
— Meteorological Centre Thiruvananthapuram (@imd_trivandrum) May 26, 2021

Cyclone Yaas, which has been intensifying over the Bay of Bengal and moving in the north-northwest direction, is set to make landfall between Paradeep in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal, with wind speed of 185 kmph, IMD said.

Tidal waves touching heights of two to four metres are likely to lash the coast. More than 13 lakh people have been evacuated and shifted to safer areas in those two states.

Meanwhile, Cyclone Yaas may advance the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala than the earlier predicted arrival by May 31. The monsoon has now set over Maldives and Sri Lanka. Rain may intensify again in Kerala from May 29.

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