Cyclone Remal Update: Kolkata Airport To Suspend Flights For 21 Hrs, Red Alert Issued For Bengal's Coastal Districts

Cyclone Remal Update: Cyclone Remal, expected to make landfall on May 26, has prompted safety measures in West Bengal, including airport flight suspension and a red alert for coastal districts.

Cyclone Remal Update: Clouds hover over 'Muri Ganga' River ahead of the landfall of cyclone 'Remal', in South 24 Parganas district | Personnel from West Bengal Disaster Management conduct announcements on the beach as part of precautionary measures. ( Image Source :PTI )

Cyclone Remal Update: In light of the anticipated impact of Cyclone Remal on the coastal regions of West Bengal, including Kolkata, a crucial meeting was held with relevant stakeholders to address safety measures. The Kolkata Airport Authority of India in a post on X announced the suspension of flight operations for 21 hours from 12:00 IST on May 26 to 09:00 IST on May 27. This decision follows predictions of severe weather, including heavy to very heavy rainfall and strong winds in the region.

Cyclone Remal Update: Deep Depression Intensifies Into Cyclonic Storm Remal, Red Alert Sounded For Coastal Districts Of South And North 24 Parganas In West Bengal

• The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata will also halt all cargo and container handling operations for 12 hours from Sunday evening in view of the forecast of a cyclonic storm, officials said. "The operations will be suspended from 6 pm on Sunday till 6 am on Monday, they said. The decision was taken for the safety of dock workers," they added, according to news agency PTI.
  
  
•  The IMD informed that the deep depression over the East-central Bay of Bengal has moved northwards at a speed of 11 km/h. It is centred about 420 km south of Khepupara and Sagar Islands and has intensified into a cyclonic storm. Coastal West Bengal is expected to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall on May 26 and 27, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall on May 26, the IMD stated in its latest bulletin.

  Deep Depression intensified into a Cyclonic Storm “Remal” (pronounced as “Re-Mal”) over Northwest and adjoining Northeast & East-central Bay of Bengal at 1730 IST of 25th May (Cyclone Warning for West Bengal Coast: Orange Message) pic.twitter.com/wvPOBDTm7J

  — India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 25, 2024

  Strong gale winds reaching up to 135 km/h are expected along and off the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal from the evening of May 26. A storm surge of about 1 metre above the astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas of coastal West Bengal, with a surge of 3-4 metres expected in coastal Bangladesh, as per the IMD. 

• The Met office has issued a red alert for the coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal for May 26 and 27. Winds in South 24 Parganas could reach 100 to 110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall. North 24 Parganas is expected to experience winds of 90 to 100 kmph, gusting to 110 kmph, with similar rainfall patterns.
  
  An orange alert has been issued for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, and Purba Medinipur districts, with forecasts of 80 to 90 kmph winds, gusting to 100 kmph, and heavy to very heavy rain at one or two places over the two days.

•  Significant damage to thatched houses, uprooting of trees, and disruptions in power and communication lines are expected in South and North 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and adjoining East Medinipur districts of West Bengal, as per the IMD. The agricultural sector might face damage to paddy, horticultural crops, and orchards due to heavy rains and strong winds.

• In Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak, and Kendrapara will receive heavy rain on May 26-27, while Mayurbhanj will see downpours on May 27.

• According to IMD scientist Dr Somenath Dutta, Cyclone Remal is currently centred at 18.2 degrees North and 89.7 degrees East. "The system is expected to move northward and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by 26th May. It is likely to cross the coast between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh by midnight on 26th May, with wind speeds of 110 to 120 km/h," Dr Dutta explained. "The primary impacts will include heavy rainfall, strong winds, and storm surges."
  
  
•  In Agartala, Tripura, District Magistrate Dr Vishal Kumar highlighted the region's preparedness following the advisory issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). "IMD has issued an advisory for all districts in southern Tripura, warning of strong winds and heavy rainfall starting the evening of 25th May," Dr Kumar said. "Due to the low-pressure zone in the Northeast region and Southeast Asia, cyclonic winds will move from the Bay of Bengal. We have alerted all field officers and have NDRF teams ready for deployment," he told ANI.
  
  
• NDRF Inspector Zaheer Abbas also expressed readiness to deal with the Cyclonic storm saying, "We are fully prepared for the cyclone. If the cyclone hits here, our soldiers are ready to deal with every kind of disaster... Our team is well-equipped. Our team is ready for tree falling or flood rescue etc... We are ready to deal with every situation."
• Total suspension of fishing operations has been advised. Coastal residents are urged to seek safer locations, and people in affected areas should remain indoors. Surface and shipping transport operations are to be regulated, and onshore and offshore operations should follow the issued guidelines.

Experts attribute the rapid intensification and prolonged potency of cyclonic storms to the warming sea surface temperatures, driven by greenhouse gas emissions. According to senior IMD scientist D S Pai, warmer sea surfaces provide more moisture, aiding cyclone intensification, PTI reported. Former Union Ministry of Earth Sciences secretary Madhavan Rajeevan noted that a sea surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius or above is needed for a low-pressure system to evolve into a cyclone, with current Bay of Bengal temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius.

Rajeevan highlighted that while ocean temperatures are critical, atmospheric conditions, particularly vertical wind shear, also play a vital role in cyclone formation and intensification. "A cyclone will not intensify if the vertical wind shear is very large. It will weaken," he explained, as per PTI.