A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ and is likely to make landfall on May 26 night along the adjoining coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, the Meteorological Department has said.
The cyclone is likely to make landfall with a wind speed of 110-120 km per hour, gusting to 135 kmph. The Met office has warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and north Odisha on May 26-27.
The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport in Kolkata will suspend flight operations for nine hours from Sunday midnight in view of cyclone Remal's landafall.
"In view of cyclone Remal's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, a meeting was held with the stakeholders and it has been decided to suspend flight operations from 1200 IST on May 26 to 0900 IST on May 27 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata," NSCBI airport director C. Pattabhi said in a statement.
This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season and will be named Remal, given by Oman, according to a system of naming cyclones in the north Indian Ocean region.
The Met Office has issued an orange alert for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia and Purba Medinipur districts.
“The weather system - a deep depression situated over the east-central Bay of Bengal, about 380 kms south of Sagar Island in South 24 Parganas district is likely to concentrate into a cyclonic storm by Saturday evening and move northwards,” it said in a bulletin.
In north Odisha, the coastal districts of Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara will receive heavy rain on May 26-27, while heavy precipitation is likely in Mayurbhanj on May 27.
The IMD has warned of localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.
