1. Cyclone Remal weakened into a “cyclonic storm” by Monday morning after landfall between West Bengal and Bangladesh.
2. The cyclone caused widespread devastation, uprooting trees and flattening homes in West Bengal’s coastal areas.
3. Authorities evacuated over 1 lakh people from vulnerable areas in West Bengal.
Kolkata, May 27: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Cyclone Remal, which made landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday night, weakened into a “cyclonic storm” by Monday morning and is expected to weaken further throughout the day.
Despite its weakening, the cyclone caused widespread devastation across West Bengal’s coastal areas, uprooting trees and flattening homes.
In the Gosaba area of the Sundarbans, one person was injured by debris, while another was hurt in Kolkata’s Bibir Bagan area due to a wall collapse.
Authorities evacuated more than 100,000 people from vulnerable areas in West Bengal to ensure their safety.
The cyclone made landfall at around 8:30 PM on Sunday between West Bengal’s Sagar Island and Khepupara in Bangladesh, with wind speeds reaching up to 135 km/h.
Latest Developments:
- According to the latest IMD bulletin, Cyclone Remal is “likely to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken into a cyclonic storm during the next three hours.”
- The cyclone is expected to continue moving northeastward and weaken further.
- Teams from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police Disaster Management Department are working to clear uprooted trees in the city’s Alipore area. South Kolkata DC Priyabrate Roy said that efforts are underway to clear roads and return the situation to normal by Monday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on Sunday evening to review the response and preparedness for Cyclone Remal. He was briefed that the National Crisis Management Committee was in regular contact with the West Bengal state government.
A red alert has been issued for extremely heavy rain in seven districts of Assam, and an orange alert in 11 districts, as Cyclone Remal is predicted to move towards the northeast on Monday while gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm.
Also Read: Himanta Biswa Sarma Alerts Assam on Cyclone Remal; NDRF & SDRF Teams on Standby
The IMD has warned of extensive rain over Assam and other northeastern states on Monday and Tuesday, with squally winds of 40-50 km/h, gusting to 60 km/h, expected over South Assam and Meghalaya today.
On Monday morning, the Indian Coast Guard said it was “closely monitoring the landfall of Cyclone Remal with disaster response teams, ships, and hovercraft on standby to respond to post-impact challenges.” They urged people to follow official advisories, stay informed, and stay safe.
In West Bengal’s North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts, roofs of thatched houses were blown away, electric poles twisted, and trees uprooted in several areas. Streets and homes in low-lying areas adjoining Kolkata were inundated.
The West Bengal government relocated around 110,000 people from coastal and vulnerable areas to cyclone shelters, schools, and colleges by Sunday afternoon. Evacuation efforts focused on relocating people from the South 24 Parganas district, particularly from Sagar Island, Sundarbans, and Kakdwip.
Digha, Kakdwip, and Jaynagar are expected to witness intensified rain and winds on Monday. The IMD’s eastern regional head, Somnath Dutta, indicated that southern Bengal districts would experience increasing winds and downpour.
In Bangladesh, over 800,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas along the country’s southwestern coast. Officials reported that a man was swept away by tidal surges in Patuakhali, while several others were injured.
The coastal districts of Bangladesh under cyclone threat include Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, and Chandpur.
