Cyclone Remal to make landfall in Bengal, red alert issued
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a depression in the Bay of Bengal is likely to develop into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall on Sunday. The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh. Cyclone Remal is predicted to bring winds of 100-120 km/h, causing extremely heavy rainfall and localized flooding in parts of the eastern state.
Cyclone Remal's current position and expected path
The IMD reported that the depression was "about 700km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), about 660km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 710km south of Canning (West Bengal)" at 11:30am. The weather agency anticipates the depression to move northeast, intensifying into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal by Saturday morning. It is expected to further intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday night, moving nearly northward.
Expected impact of Cyclone Remal on coastal regions
By midnight on Sunday, the IMD predicts that the cyclone will likely cross the coasts of Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal between Sagar Island and Khepupara as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 110-120km/h gusting to 130km/h. The Met office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on Sunday and Monday (May 25-26). Additionally, parts of northeast India are expected to experience extremely heavy precipitation on May 27-28.
Preparations underway in West Bengal for Cyclone Remal
In anticipation of Cyclone Remal, buildings in three coastal districts of West Bengal have been designated as shelters. District control rooms have been activated, emergency services are on standby, and advisories have been issued to ports in Kolkata and Paradip in Odisha. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 12 teams with five additional teams kept on standby. Rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, Coast Guard along with ships and aircraft are also ready for deployment.
Cyclone Remal's expected impact on air travel and Odisha
Airport authorities in Kolkata held a meeting on Friday afternoon to assess the situation. An airport official stated that they are not expecting any disruption on Saturday, but there may be some disruptions on Sunday when the cyclone hits the coastal areas. Cyclone Remal also won't have a direct impact on Odisha, according to the regional director of IMD Bhubaneswar. However, most places in north Odisha are likely to experience light to moderate rainfall.
