The Severe Cyclonic Storm Remal over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal has weakened into Cyclonic Storm at 5:30 am on Monday, the India Meteorological Department has informed. Cyclone Remal made landfall between Sagar Islands in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh between 10:30 pm on 26th May and 12:30 am on 27th May 2024 with wind speed of 110-120 Kmph gusting to 135 Kmph, the Department had earlier said.
IMD also forecasted that the storm is likely to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken into a Cyclonic Storm during next 3 hours. Thereafter, it would move northeastward and gradually weaken further.
AIR News said that Kolkata and the suburbs of West Bengal witnessed very strong winds and heavy rain as a result of Cyclone Remal. The coastal areas of North 24 Parganas also witnessed strong winds and moderate to heavy rains, it said, further informing that electricity in large areas was affected.
The West Bengal Government has reportedly evacuated around one lakh people from its coastal areas. 14 teams of the National Disaster Response Force had been deployed in various districts.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the preparedness for cyclone “Remal” over North Bay of Bengal at his official residence where he said that the Government of India has extended full support to the State Government and must continue to do so. He said that the Ministry of Home Affairs should monitor the situation and take a review after the landfall of the cyclone in order to extend necessary assistance for restoration.
Prime Minister has instructed that apart from NDRF teams that have already been deployed in West Bengal and one in Odisha, more teams be kept on standby which can move within one hour. He asked the Indian Coast Guard to deploy its assets for any emergency. Further, Modi said the Ports, Railways and Highways be kept on high vigil to avoid any untoward incidents.
As the storm is expected to move towards the Northeast States, light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is expected over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura on 27th and 28th May. IMD had also cautioned against isolated extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 20 cm) over Assam, Meghalaya on 27th and 28th May, Arunachal Pradesh on 28th May and Mizoram and Tripura on 27th May.
Tripura has announced closure of all educational institutions on 27th and 28th May 2024, considering the severity of the cyclone.
In Assam, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has said that it has ramped up preparations along with other departments, agencies, and district administrations to face any eventualities arising out of heavy rainfall and winds due to Cyclone Remal.
Meanwhile in Bangladesh, over 8 lakh people were said to had been evacuated. The United Nations had earlier said over 19 lakh people in the country are at risk from the storm and that its agencies were working with Government and partners to prepare for evacuations and response.
