2m rushed to shelters as India braces for another cyclone

KOLKATA: 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 kilometres per hour.

Experts say the warming of ocean waters due to climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of such storms. Nearly two million people, living along India’s east coast, are being moved to shelters, officials said Tuesday.