The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for extremely heavy rains in several districts of Odisha ahead of Cyclone Yaas' landfall. A red alert was issued and Dhamra and Paradip ports have the highest danger warning, said IMD Bhubaneswar.

IMD issued an orange alert for Tuesday in Mayurbhanj, Jaipur, Cuttack, Khorda and Puri as the weather department predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Wind speeds of 150-160 kmph gusting 180kmph are expected as Cyclone Yaas, which is brewing in the Bay of Bengal, may make landfall by the afternoon on Wednesday, IMD said.

Police and disaster management officials made thousands of locals evacuate the coastal areas as Cyclone Yaas is set to make landfall. All cargo was diverted to Mangalore by ending a long-lasting trade relation between the island and Beypore port of Kerala, the neighbouring state.

"Cyclone Yaas is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar Island around Balasore, during noon of Wednesday, the 26th May as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm," IMD said in its bulletin.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik urged people in coastal regions to co-operate with the local administration and shift to cyclone shelters. He also asked them to adhere to the Covid-19 protocols and wear double masks.

The officials said that more than 800 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel are in a high state of readiness for Cyclone Yaas. The state government has already prepared a list of high-risk districts and assigned them to senior officers to supervise relief, rehabilitation and restoration work. It is reported that there are also helicopters and vessels ready for the relief and rescue work.