Cyclone Yaas: Red alert in Odisha districts

Bhubaneswar Deputy Director of India Meteorological Department (IMD) Umashankar Das on May 25 said that ‘Red Alert’ has been issued for Odisha districts. He said that a red alert has been issued for Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore districts and an Orange alert for Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khorda and Puri.IMD Dy Director Das said, “Red alert (extremely heavy rainfall warning) issued for Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Balasore districts for May 25 and May 26. Orange alert (heavy to very heavy rainfall warning) for Mayurbhanj, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khorda and Puri for May 25.”“We are expecting wind speeds of 150-160 kmph gusting 180 kmph over Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore for May 26 as landfall is expected by noon. We have issued the highest danger warning for Dhamra and Paradip ports,” he added.Cyclonic storm Yaas is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around Balasore, during noon of May 26 as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm.