May 25th 2024.
On Saturday evening, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal had intensified into a cyclonic storm, named Remal. The storm, named by Oman, holds the meaning of "sand" in Arabic and is the first cyclone to form in the Bay of Bengal during this pre-monsoon season. As of 5:30 pm, the weather system was moving at a speed of 12 kmph over the east-central Bay of Bengal and was located 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
According to the IMD, the cyclonic storm is expected to turn severe by Sunday morning and make landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The wind speed is estimated to reach 110 to 120 kmph, with gusts of up to 135 kmph, by midnight on Sunday. The IMD has issued a warning for extremely heavy rainfall in coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rainfall in north Odisha on Sunday and Monday due to the weather system.
The impact of the cyclone is also expected to be felt in other northeastern states, with Assam and Meghalaya likely to experience extremely heavy precipitation on Monday, and Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura expecting heavy to very heavy rains on Monday and Tuesday. The IMD has also warned of a storm surge of 1.5 meters, which could potentially inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh upon landfall.
In light of the approaching cyclone, fishermen have been advised to avoid venturing into the north Bay of Bengal until Monday morning. The IMD has also issued a red alert for coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly in West Bengal, where extremely heavy rainfall is expected on Sunday and Monday. The South and North 24 Parganas are likely to experience the most impact, with wind speeds reaching 110 to 120 kmph and gusts of up to 130 kmph. The other districts are expected to experience wind speeds of 70 to 80 kmph, with gusts of up to 90 kmph.
The IMD has cautioned that the cyclone could cause major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, and crops in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal. An orange alert will be in place in these districts until Tuesday morning, except for Purba Medinipur. The rest of the districts in southern West Bengal are expected to experience wind speeds of 40 to 50 kmph, with gusts of up to 60 kmph.
In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara are bracing for heavy rain on Sunday and Monday. People in the affected areas have been advised to remain indoors and vacate vulnerable structures. The Indian Coast Guard has also taken preemptive measures to ensure the safety of those at sea. Their remote operating stations at Haldia and Paradip are broadcasting alerts to fishing vessels and merchant ships through VHF, and they have alerted Bangladesh Coast Guard authorities to prepare for the situation.
The Indian Coast Guard has also deployed ships and aircraft on standby for search and rescue missions if necessary. Nine disaster relief teams are ready at Haldia and Fraserganj in West Bengal, and Paradip and Gopalpur in Odisha. In preparation for the cyclone, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata has announced the suspension of all cargo and container handling operations for 12 hours, starting from 6 pm on Sunday until 6 am on Monday.
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