According to the Indian Meteorological department, ‘Remal’ has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is poised to make landfall between Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coasts by midnight on Sunday, with sustained wind speeds ranging from 110-120 km per hour and gusts reaching up to 135 kmph
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the response and preparedness for Cyclone ‘Remal’
Bangladesh and India braced for the first cyclone of the year as a storm with wind speeds of up to 120 kmh (75 mph) is set to make landfall late on Sunday, India’s weather department said.
The Bangladesh weather office raised its storm danger signal to the highest level of 10 on Sunday for two ports and nine coastal districts in the South Asian nation, announcing warnings over loudspeakers.
According to the Indian Meteorological department, ‘Remal’ has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is poised to make landfall between Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coasts by midnight on Sunday, with sustained wind speeds ranging from 110-120 km per hour and gusts reaching up to 135 kmph.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review the response and preparedness for Cyclone ‘Remal.’
The low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours have experienced frequent severe storms in recent years.
Cyclone Yaas in 2021 left more than 50,000 people homeless and killed at least one. Bangladesh has set up nearly 8,000 cyclone shelters and 78,000 volunteers have been mobilised, the state minister for disaster management and relief, Mohibbur Rahman, told Reuters.
“We are maintaining regular communication with the regional specialized meteorological centre in India,” he said. India has deployed its disaster relief force in the eastern state of West Bengal.
Flights have been suspended at major metropolitan city of Kolkata.
Parts of West Bengal have started experiencing bouts of moderate rainfall, and the government has cancelled leave for employees in essential services, a weather official said. “In Kolkata, conditions were overcast but life was normal,” Somnath Dutta, head of weather forecast section in regional meteorological centre in Kolkata, told Reuters.
Pictures on social media platform X showed the disaster management team alerting tourists at a beach in West Bengal.
As part of precautionary measures to combat the impending impact of severe cyclone ‘Remal’, the West Bengal government has evacuated approximately 1.10 lakh people from coastal regions, including the Sundarbans and Sagar Island, to secure shelters, a senior official said on Sunday.
To bolster these efforts, 16 battalions each from the state disaster management and NDRF have been deployed in the coastal areas, enhancing rescue and relief operations, the official added.
”Evacuation efforts have concentrated on relocating 1.10 lakh people from coastal regions to safe shelters, with a significant number hailing from South 24 Parganas district, notably Sagar Island, Sunderbans, and Kakdwip,” the official informed PTI.
Furthermore, the state government has distributed approximately 5.40 lakh tarpaulins and ensured the availability of dry rations, powdered milk, and drinking water pouches across these districts, ensuring preparedness for the impending crisis.
”Our district management teams remain fully engaged, operating round-the-clock to address the evolving situation,” the official reassured.
A centralised control unit has been established at the state secretariat to monitor the situation closely.
Anticipating the cyclone’s impact, coastal districts are expected to experience extremely heavy rainfall, while Kolkata and its environs may encounter heavy to very heavy rainfall.
In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara will receive heavy rains on May 26-27, while heavy precipitation is likely in Mayurbhanj on May 27.
The IMD has warned of localised flooding and significant damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.
Meanwhile, Eastern Railway has opened helpline numbers at Howrah and Sealdah as Remal is expected to build into an intense cyclonic storm.
Eastern Railway has already implemented various measures to ensure safety and minimize the impact which include activation of a disaster management team, round-the-clock monitoring of control rooms by the senior officers, regular monitoring of wind speed at multiple locations, continuous monitoring of cyclone-related information and keeping liaison with the Meteorological department. Helpline Numbers issued at Sealdah: 033-23508794 (DOT) and 033- 23833326 (Auto Phone).