New Delhi, May 27 (IANS): The cyclonic storm 'Yaas' in the Bay of Bengal has weakened into a "deep depression" and is very likely to move further northwestwards and weaken gradually during the next 12 hours.

'Yaas', which is crossing between Dhamra and Balasore in Odisha, lay centred at 11.30 p.m. on May 26 over south Jharkhand and adjoining north interior Odisha near latitude 22.4 degree north and longitude 85.8 degree east, about 60 km west-southwest of Jamshedpur and 110 km south-south-east of Ranchi in Jharkhand, said the National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The cyclone is very likely to move further northwestwards and weaken gradually into a depression during the next 12 hours. The storm had commenced the landfall process around 9 a.m. on Wednesday.

As per the IMD's 2.30 a.m. report, the last hourly bulletin regarding 'Yaas', the cyclone then intensified near the centre with wind speeds of about 55-65 kmph gusting to 75 kmph.

The cyclone moved north-northwestwards with a speed of about 13 kmph during the past six hours.

As per the IMD forecast, the wind speed of the storm will decrease gradually becoming 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph during three hours over south Jharkhand and adjoining north Odisha.

The storm is bringing in light to moderate rainfall at most places in Odisha with heavy to very heavy rains at a few places over the north interior state during the next 12 hours.

In West Bengal, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Medinipur, Jhargram, Bankura is likely during the next 12 hours.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall and extremely heavy falls at isolated places in Jharkhand is expected during the next 24 hours.