One Million Evacuated as New Cyclone Nears Covid-Ravaged India
By Pratik Parija and Pradipta Mukherjee | May 25, 2021
A powerful cyclone is set to slam into India early on Wednesday, the second in less than two weeks, with authorities evacuating more than one million people at a time when the nation is facing the world’s worst outbreak of Covid-19.
Cyclone Yaas, equivalent to a category 3 hurricane, will cause heavy rains in the eastern states of West Bengal and Odisha, with wind speeds as high as 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour, according to the India Meteorological Department. Sea levels may increase four meters above regular tides and inundate low-lying areas, it said.