A fisherman makes preparations aboard a boat secured in dry land as Cyclone Yaas barrels towards India's eastern coast in the Bay of Bengal where is expected to make a landfall tomorrow. AFP PHOTOKOLKATA: A powerful cyclone headed for eastern India Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearly two million people just a week after another huge storm claimed at least 155 lives on the west coast. Cyclone Yaas in the Bay of Bengal is expected to slam into West Bengal and Odisha states around midday on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department said, and could bring winds of up to 165 kilometers (100 miles) per hour. "This cyclone is a terrible blow for many people in coastal districts whose families have been struck down by Covid-19 infections and deaths," West Bengal Sundarbans development minister Bankim Chandra Hazra told AFP. "Nearly half a million people are being evacuated from their homes in the (West Bengal) coastal region and it's a big challenge to provide them shelter (while) maintaining social distancing.

Source: Manila Times May 25, 2021 10:24 UTC