Cyclone Remal Devastates Bengal: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal‘ made landfall between Bangladesh and West Bengal coasts around 8:30 pm on Sunday, bringing heavy rains that flooded homes and farmland and caused widespread destruction.

Cyclone Remal: Top 10 Updates

1. Landfall Details: The cyclone made landfall between Sagar Island in Bengal and Khepupara near the southwest of Mongla in Bangladesh, with heavy rains blurring the vast coastline. Surging waters swept fishing boats inland and inundated mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands in low-lying areas.
2. Wind Speeds: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Cyclone Remal made landfall with wind speeds reaching up to 135 kmph.
3. Destruction: The cyclone flattened fragile dwellings, uprooted trees, and knocked down electric poles in North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore.
4. Evacuations: Over one lakh people were evacuated from vulnerable areas in West Bengal, with a focus on South 24 Parganas district, particularly Sagar Island, Sundarbans, and Kakdwip.
5. Flooding in Kolkata: Streets and homes in low-lying areas adjoining Kolkata were inundated. In Kolkata’s Bibir Bagan area, a wall collapsed due to heavy rain, injuring one person.
6. Transportation Disruptions: Cyclone Remal significantly disrupted air, rail, and road transportation in Kolkata and southern Bengal. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways cancelled some trains, and the Kolkata airport suspended flight operations for 21 hours, affecting 394 flights.
7. Weather Forecast: The IMD’s eastern regional head, Somnath Dutta, indicated that southern Bengal districts would experience increasing winds and rainfall.
8. Government Response: Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the storm response and preparedness, while West Bengal Governor Dr. CV Ananda Bose monitored the situation closely.
9. Municipal Actions: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) evacuated people from high-rises and dilapidated buildings, mobilizing 15,000 civic employees with equipment ready for quick removal of large uprooted trees.
10. Ongoing Impact: The cyclone caused light rains and winds in areas like Digha, Kakdwip, and Jaynagar, which were expected to intensify on Monday.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Cyclone Remal made landfall yesterday night and as per IMD, it would continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm by morning today

(Visuals from Mandarmani Beach) pic.twitter.com/guAAeVqEkv

— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2024