A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm, named Remal, on Saturday evening and is likely to turn severe before making landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
Named by Oman, Remal, meaning sand in Arabic, is the first cyclone over the Bay of Bengal in this pre-monsoon season.
The weather system, moving at a speed of 12 kmph over the east-central Bay of Bengal, was 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal at 5.30 pm on Saturday, the IMD said.
Moving in a northward direction, it is likely to concentrate further into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday morning and cross West Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara with a wind speed of 110 to 120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, by midnight of Sunday.
The CS “Remal” over North BoB about 290 km S SE of Sagar Islands(WB) 300 km S SW of Khepupara(Bangladesh) and 320 km S SE of Canning (WB). To intensify into a severe cyclonic storm in next 06 hours and cross between Bangladesh and adjoining WB coasts around 26 midnight as SCS
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 26, 2024
The IMD warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rainfall in north Odisha on Sunday and Monday owing to the weather system.
The precautionary measure was taken after a meeting of the stakeholders of the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata on Saturday.
‘In view of cyclone Remal’s impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, a meeting was held with the stakeholders and it has been decided to suspend flight operations from 1200 IST on May 26 to 0900 IST on May 27 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata,’ NSCBI airport director C Pattabhi said in a statement.
Extremely heavy precipitation is also likely in Assam and Meghalaya, and heavy to very heavy rains in the other northeastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura on Monday and Tuesday.
Storm surge of up to 1.5 metre is expected to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh at the time of landfall.
The IMD warned fishermen not to venture into the sea in the north Bay of Bengal till Monday morning.
