Cyclone Remal Landfall: West Bengal and Bangladesh brace for a midnight hit

A cyclone is forming in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh around midnight on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. This cyclone is the first one to occur in the Bay of Bengal during this pre-monsoon season. It will be named Remal, following the naming system for cyclones in the Indian Ocean region.

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The system is expected to become a cyclonic storm by Saturday morning. It will then intensify into a severe cyclonic storm by Saturday night.


"It's very likely to cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara around Sunday midnight as a severe cyclonic storm," the IMD said in an update.

The cyclone is expected to have a wind speed of up to 120 kilometres per hour on Sunday.

The Meteorological office has issued a warning about very heavy rainfall in the coastal areas of West Bengal and northern Odisha on May 26-27. There is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall affecting certain areas of northeast India on May 27-28.

A storm surge of up to 1.5 meters is forecasted to flood low-lying areas along the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh during landfall.

Fisherfolk who are currently out at sea have been given advice to come back to the coast. They are advised not to go into the Bay of Bengal until May 27.

The IMD issued a warning about localised flooding and significant damage to vulnerable structures, power lines, communication lines, kutcha roads, crops, and orchards in the South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.

People in the areas that may be affected have been advised to stay indoors and leave buildings that are at risk.

Scientists have observed that cyclonic storms are getting stronger quickly and maintaining their strength for longer durations. This is happening because the sea surface temperatures are rising, which is mainly caused by oceans absorbing a large amount of the extra heat from greenhouse gas emissions.

The past 30 years have seen the highest sea surface temperatures recorded since 1880.

According to senior IMD scientist D S Pai, warmer sea surface temperatures result in more moisture. This increased moisture is favorable for the intensification of cyclones.

Madhavan Rajeevan, who previously served as the secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, explained that a sea surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius or higher is required for a low-pressure system to develop into a cyclone. Currently, the sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal is approximately 30 degrees Celsius.

"The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are very warm at present, so a tropical cyclone can easily form," Rajeevan said.

Tropical cyclones are influenced by both the ocean and the atmosphere. The atmosphere, particularly vertical wind shear, which refers to changes in wind speed and direction with altitude, also plays a crucial role.

"A cyclone will not intensify if the vertical wind shear is very large. It will weaken," Rajeevan said.

(With PTI inputs)