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Cyclone Remal is intensifying into a severe storm and is set to make landfall in West Bengal by midnight on Sunday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. The cyclone currently has a maximum sustained wind speed of 100-110 kmph, with gusts up to 120 kmph around the center. 

“The cyclonic storm is very likely to continue moving northwards, intensify further, and cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara, close to southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh), by midnight of today, May 26, 2024, as a severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph,” stated the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Authorities are urgently working to ensure public safety. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 12 teams across the Bengal coast. The state government has established a 24×7 control room at the state secretariat in Kolkata to monitor the situation in coastal districts and areas expecting heavy rain due to the cyclone.

A control room in Sundarbans will monitor Cyclone Remal, collaborating with police, disaster management teams, the Kolkata municipality, national and state disaster response forces, the Indian Coast Guard, and Civil Defence. For information or assistance during the cyclone, the public can call the control room at 1070 or 033 22143526.

Flight operations have been suspended for 21 hours, expected to resume at 9 am on Monday. According to airport authorities, 170 domestic flights and 28 international flights were scheduled to depart from Kolkata airport, and 26 international flights were set to arrive, affecting 349 flights in total. Many passengers, inconvenienced by the suspension, have taken temporary shelter outside the airport terminal, with some complaining about the lack of timely information regarding the suspension.

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Trains have been cancelled, and evacuation efforts are underway in coastal areas. The state administration, the NDRF, and the Coast Guard are on high alert, using loudspeakers to warn residents and setting up flood relief camps.

According to the IMD, adverse weather conditions are expected to begin on Sunday, and residents in affected areas have been advised to prepare. The IMD has issued a warning in effect until May 28.

The latest update from the weather department shows that the cyclone is centered in Khepupara, Bangladesh. It is located 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and 280 km south-southeast of Canning (West Bengal), where it is likely to make landfall.

The IMD predicts very heavy to extremely heavy rain accompanied by very strong winds in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, East Midnapore, Nadia, and Murshidabad districts. Heavy to very heavy rainfall with strong winds is also expected in East Burdwan, West Midnapore, and Birbhum during May 26-27.