By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, May 26, 2021: Yaas, categorised as a Very Severe Cyclone, made landfall at around 9 am on Wednesday, 50 km North of Dhamra and south of Balasore in Odisha, which continued for more than three hours. This then weakened into a severe cyclonic storm in the evening.

The system started crossing North Odisha coast to the south of Balasore by noon and turned into severe cyclonic storm with wind speed of 130-140 kmph, sources at the India Meteorology Department said.

The cyclone had a huge impact on East Midnapore district’s Digha and South 24 Parganas district. It wreaked havoc in Mayurbhanj district, accompanied by extremely heavy rain with very strong winds post the landfall.

Severe damages were reported from Betanati area where big trees were uprooted and roads got blocked. Multiple teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), fire service, National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), and Odisha Police were pressed into action for rescue work.

NDRF director general Satya Narayan Pradhan urged people to restrict their movement till the situation becomes normal and take proper precautionary measures while returning to their homes. NDRF personnel rescued a family of four after their house collapsed due to heavy rain in Odisha. They also rescued hundreds of stranded people in Bengal. Three persons were saved from drowning.

Around 113 teams of NDRF personnel, the highest ever numbers of teams for cyclones, have been deployed in five states and the UT.

IMD predicted very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Jhargram, Bankura, South 24 Parganas and heavy falls at isolated places over Purulia, Nadia, Murshidabad, east Bardhaman, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Airport will remain closed on May 26 while Bhubaneswar airport will be closed on May 26 and 27.