In anticipation of Cyclone Remal, flight operations at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport will be suspended for 21 hours. This decision comes after a meeting with various stakeholders.
The airport will cease operations from noon on Sunday, May 26, until 9 a.m. on Monday, May 27. This suspension is due to expected heavy winds and significant rainfall.
Similarly, Kolkata Port has announced a suspension of all cargo and container handling operations for 12 hours. These operations will stop at 6 p.m. on Sunday and resume at 6 a.m. on Monday. The decision was reported by news agency PTI, citing port authorities.
Cyclone Remal originated from a low-pressure area observed on May 22 in the Bay of Bengal and has since intensified. The cyclone is currently located in the central Bay of Bengal and is moving towards the coastal regions of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Areas likely to be affected include West Bengal, Coastal Bangladesh, Tripura, and parts of the northeastern states of India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has provided the latest updates, indicating that the cyclone will make landfall around midnight on May 26. The expected landfall area is between Sagar Island in southern West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh. The deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal is centered approximately 420 km south of both Khepupara and Sagar Islands.
Deep Depression over East central BoB lay over same region about 420km S SE of Sagar Islands(WB) 420km S of Khepupara(Bangladesh). To intensify into a cyclonic storm by 25 evening and cross between Bangladesh and adjoining WB coasts around 26 midnight as SCS. For details visit pic.twitter.com/GF8Db2utvB
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 25, 2024
At the time of landfall, Cyclone Remal is expected to cause a storm surge of up to 1.5 meters, which could inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh. Thousands of people are likely to be evacuated from these vulnerable areas and relocated to cyclone shelters.
The IMD has issued a red warning for several districts in West Bengal, including South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, and East Midnapore.
In preparation for the cyclone, the administration has constructed around 115 multipurpose cyclone shelters in South 24 Parganas and over 100 shelters in North 24 Parganas. The IMD also predicts that northeastern states such as Tripura, Assam, Nagaland, and Manipur will experience rainfall and strong winds due to the cyclone.
Tripura has issued an advisory based on the IMD’s severe weather forecast. The state’s Revenue Department has warned of heavy rainfall and gusty winds from May 25 to 28.
Bangladesh is also preparing for the severe cyclonic storm, with nearly 4,000 shelters ready and stocked with dry food supplies and water. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department is expected to issue a ‘great danger’ signal number 10 between midnight and 1 a.m. on Sunday.
This cyclone, named Remal (meaning “sand” in Arabic), is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season, according to the Indian Ocean region’s naming system.
Comments