New Delhi, May 24 : Civil aviation operations at Port Blair airport have been suspended due to the inclement weather conditions unleashed by Cyclone Yaas.
According to the Airports Authority of India, the move was necessitated due to heavy rain and winds of 20-25 knots gusting up to 35 knots.
“Scheduled civil flight operations at the Port Blair Airport in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands has been suspended for today, 24th May, 2021,” AAI said in a statement.
“Senior management at AAI, along with IMD, is consistently monitoring the situation at all other airports in Southern and Eastern India.Secretary (Civil Aviation) instructed that all preventive measures be in place at all airports that are likely to be impacted by the Cyclone, to minimise any damage.”
According to the statement, flights operations at Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jharsuguda and Durgapur airport are likely to be impacted by the cyclone.
Besides, Ranchi, Patna, Raipur, Jamshedpur, Bagdogra, Cooch Behar, Vizag and Rajahmundry airports have been instructed to be on alert in case the cyclonic winds change path.
As per the latest IMD weather bulletin, after laying practically stationary over East-central Bay of Bengal, Cyclone Yaas is very likely to move slowly north-northwestwards, intensify further into a ‘Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during next 24 hours and into a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’ during subsequent 24 hours.
“It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near north Odisha and West Bengal coasts by 26th May early morning,” the statement quoted the IMD bulletin.
“It is very likely to cross north Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Paradip and Sagar islands around noon of 26th May as a ‘Very Severe Cyclonic Storm’
.
