WATCH: ‘Tornado’ strikes Bengal; Cyclonic Yaas makes landfall in Odisha

At least two persons were killed due to electrocution and some 80 houses partly damaged as a storm approached the West Bengal coast much ahead of Cyclone Yaas. The storm hit the Bengal districts, Hooghly and North 24 Parganas on May 25. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed the storm "a tornado".

Briefing the media persons at state secretariat 'Nabanna', West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "In the impact of the strong winds, 40 houses were damaged in Halisahar with 4-5 people sustaining injuries. 40 houses were damaged in Chuchura. Unfortunately, two people have died due to lightning in Pandua."

The natural event struck hours before cyclone Yaas was to make landfall, near Dhamra Port in Odisha’s Bhadrak district early on Wednesday, in the wake of which the Bengal government has evacuated over nine lakh people to safe shelters.

Meanwhile, the process of the landfall of 'Very Severe Cyclonic Storm' Yaas began south of Odisha's Balasore town around 9 am on May 26. According to the reports, the intensity of the wind was 130-140 kmph.

Around 5.8 lakh people have been shifted from low-lying regions in Odisha and around 11.5 lakh from places along the Bengal coast. Chief ministers of both states held review meetings Tuesday, with particular focus on arrangements - including supply of oxygen and electricity - for Covid hospitals in vulnerable regions.