PM Modi Assesses Preparedness As Severe Cyclone 'Remal' Set To Hit Indian Coasts Midnight — Top Points

The cyclone, with maximum wind speeds of 110-120 km/h and gusts up to 135 km/h, is currently 220 km southwest of Khepupara, Bangladesh, and 210 km southeast of Sagar Islands, India. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the response and preparedness for 'Cyclone Remal'. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that Cyclone Remal, now a severe cyclonic storm, is set to make landfall at midnight between Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coasts. Rainfall has already begun in parts of Kolkata as Cyclone Remal approaches. News agency ANI posted the visuals of the same on its official X handle. Take a look here:

The cyclone, with maximum wind speeds of 110-120 km/h and gusts up to 135 km/h, is currently located approximately 220 km southwest of Khepupara, Bangladesh, and 210 km southeast of Sagar Islands, India. 

Here are the top points that you need to know: 

• According to IMD scientist Somenath Dutta, the cyclone has been moving northward at a speed of 13 km/h. It is expected to cross the region between Sargar Island and Khepupura around midnight. 


• "In the last 6 hours, the cyclone 'Remal' is moving towards the North Bay with a speed of 13 km/hr. It is in the southwest of Khepupara, Bangladesh,"  he told ANI.


• "Currently, the windspeed is 95-105 km/hr... It will move in the north direction. At midnight, it will cross the region between Sagar Island and Khepupara. The maximum windspeed will be 110-120 km/hr, gusting to 135 km/hr," he added. 


• In anticipation of the cyclone, several measures have been taken. The Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled numerous train services in the coastal; districts of South and North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur as a precaution. 


• Kolkata Airport has suspended flight operations for 21 hours from noon on Sunday, affecting 394 flights. The Shyama Mookerjee Port in Kolkata has also halted cargo and container handling for 12 hours starting Sunday evening. 


• As of 8:30 AM on Sunday, the cyclone was situated in the northern Bay of Bengal, 240 km south-southeast of Sargar Islands, with sustained winds of 90-100 km/h and guts up to 110 km/h. 


• The IMD has forecast extremely heavy rain for the coastal districts of West Bengal, with heavy to very heavy rain expected in Kolkata and nearby areas. Northern Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura are also likely to experience heavy to very heavy rain over the next few days. 


• A storm surge of up to one metre above the astronomical tide is predicted to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal and Bangladesh during landfall. Fishermen have been advised to avoid the northern Bay of Bengal until the morning of May 27. 


• Heavy rainfall is predicted for North and South 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly districts, prompting a red alert for North and South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur. Nadia and Murshidabad districts are expected to see heavy rain on May 27-28. 


• Winds of 100-110 km/h, gusting to 120 km/h, are anticipated in North and South 24 Parganas. Kolkata, Howrah, Hoogly and Purba Medinipur districts may experience winds of 70-80 km/h, gusting to 90 km/h. Nadia and Purba Bardhman districts might see winds of 60-70 km/h, gusting to 80 km/h, while other parts of south Bengal could face winds of 40-50 km/h, gusting to 60 km/h. 


• As a safety measure, the Eastern Railway suspended train services in the Sealdah South and Barasat-Hasnabad sections from 11 PM on Sunday to 6 AM on Monday, leading to the cancellation of several local trains. The South Eastern Railway cancelled the Kandari Express on Sunday and some service to and from Digha on Sunday and Monday. 


• Northern Odisha's Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara districts are predicted to receive heavy rain on May 26-27, with Mayurbhanj expecting heavy rain on May 27. 


• North Bengal districts Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri are likely to see extreme heavy rain on May 28-29, while Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Uttar, and Dakshin Dinajpur districts are also expected to experience heavy rain. 


• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has implemented pre-emptive measures to prevent loss of life and property at sea, altering fishing vessels and merchant ships via remote operating stations at Haldia and Paradip. The ICG has also prepared ships and aircraft for search and rescue missions, with disaster relief teams on standby at Haldia, Fraserganj, Pradip, and Gopalpur. 


• A control room has been established at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar to coordinate state agency efforts. "Ten Kolkata police teams have been deployed across ten police divisions of the city. We are also coordinating with KMC, SDRF, and NDRF," a senior police officer told PTI.


• Teams from the National Disaster Response Forec (NDRF) have also been dispatched to districts expected to be affected by the cyclonic storm, including Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Paschim Medinipur, South 24-Pargana, Howrah, and Hooghly.