KOLKATA: Just days after the devastating cyclone Tauktae ravaged the west coast of the country, another severe cyclonic storm Yaas is shortly likely to make landfall on the east coast, hitting West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

According to the Kolkata Meteorological office on Monday the cyclonic storm Yaas was located around 630 kilometres away from Digha coast and would most likely to make landfall today evening somewhere between Digha in East Midnapore district in West Bengal and Paradeep in Odisha late tonight. 

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Kolkata DDGM, Sanjib Banerjee, had released a brief on Cyclone Yaas saying that over the next 12 hours, it will intensify into a Severe Cyclonic Storm.

"On May 26, it will further intensify into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm. On May 26th afternoon, the Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Yaas will cross between Sagar of Bengal & Paradip of Odisha near Balasore," the briefing stated.

The IMD is also predicting a tidal surge of 2-4.5 meters during the landfall of Yaas, which will affect low-lying areas.

The state administrations of West Bengal and Odisha have already pressed it's resources into action to minimise the damages caused by the storm with the central government also sending in rescue teams to these areas.

Early in the day, Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting with the chief ministers of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands via video conference to review preparations in view of Cyclone Yaas.

So far, the Indian Air Force has airlifted 950 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and 70 tonnes of cargo from Jamnagar, Varanasi, Patna and Arakonnam to Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Port Blair in 15 aircraft.

Since the IMD predicting a huge tidal surge of up to 2-4.5 meters during the landfall of Yaas, all the states likely to be affected have already carried out massive evacuation drives in all low-lying areas and vulnerable storm-surge pockets and people are being sheltered in safe locations. 

West Bengal state administration has said that it set up the Unified Command Agency that includes officials from all departments including NDRF, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Marine Police, coastal guards, officials from that state electricity so that it can deal effectively with the cyclone. 

The Odisha government has also rushed a large contingent of rescue and relief teams to Balasore district bordering West Bengal on Monday where the very severe cyclonic storm Yaas is likely to make landfall.