Cyclone Remal barrels towards Bengal coast

New Delhi: Severe cyclonic storm 'Remal' made landfall in Bangladesh on Sunday night as authorities evacuated over one million people from vulnerable areas of the country's low-lying southwestern coastlines to shelters. "The cyclone has made landfall and started crossing the West Bengal coast through the southwest side of Mongla and Khepupara coast of Bangladesh around 8:30 pm (local time)," a met office spokesman said.

The West Bengal government has evacuated over 1 lakh people from vulnerable areas to safety and Bengal's coastal areas have been put on high alert as the cyclone has already triggered rain in several parts of the state.

According to an India Meteorological Department (IMD) bulletin, the 'Remal' has a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, when the storm hit land, officials said.

By 3 pm, the West Bengal government had evacuated around 1.10 lakh people from coastal and vulnerable areas and shifted them to cyclone shelters, schools, and colleges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting to review response and preparedness for cyclonic storm 'Remal'.

State minister Akhil Giri said, ''Our experience in tackling Cyclone Amphan and Cyclone Yaas will be put to good use.'' West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose said he is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant touch with state and central experts to ensure a coordinated response to counter it.

Bose emphasised the importance of safety for residents in the coastal regions of Bengal, urging them to adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for cyclones.

The cyclone has already caused light rain and winds in areas like Digha, Kakdwip, and Jaynagar, which are expected to intensify on Monday.

IMD’s eastern regional head Somnath Dutta said from Sunday evening, districts in south Bengal would experience squally winds of 45-55 kmph, gusting to 65 kmph, affecting Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, and Purba Medinipur.

‘’This will gradually increase to gale wind speed, reaching 70 to 80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph,’’ he told reporters. Dutta warned that surface wind speeds in coastal areas of West Bengal could reach 100-120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph from Sunday evening to Monday morning.

However, he mentioned that the damage caused by ‘Remal’ would be less severe compared to the destruction wrought by Super Cyclone Amphan in 2020.

Amphan, which was categorised as a super cyclone, had made landfall on May 20 in 2020 over Sagar Island and caused widespread destruction in Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Nadia.

The IMD has warned of localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in the South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal. Residents in affected areas are advised to remain indoors and avoid vulnerable structures.