Powerful Cyclone Headed West Bengal, Odisha’s way; UAE Flights Cancelled
“Remal” threatens to leave death and destruction in its wake.
India’s East which has been reeling for weeks from unrelenting summer heat, is now bracing for a powerful cyclone. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm caused by low pressure in the northern Bay of Bengal, is set to make landfall on the night of Sunday, May 26th, 2024. The cyclone, named “Remal”, is headed for Bangladesh’s Khepupara district and Sagar Island, the latter belonging to India’s eastern state of West Bengal.
Met officials estimate that the storm which currently has stirred up wind speeds of 110 km, will intensify to 135 km. Coastal districts of West Bengal and the neighbouring state Odisha are on alert for heavy rains over the next few days. Authorities gauge that there could be water logging of 1.5 metres in low-lying areas. However, there has been no news about on any evacuation plans yet.
Authorities have sounded the orange alert for places in West Bengal like 24 Parganas, Medinipur, Nadia, Howrah and the capital city of Kolkata. Meanwhile, officials have also warned Odisha’s coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara and Balasore. Furthermore, flights between the UAE and Kolkata and Dhaka have been cancelled till Monday, May 27th. So just what can these places expect in the next 72 hours? Well, the Met people have forecast a grim situation which includes flooding, infrastructural damage and destruction of crops and orchards. It looks like that’s one hell of a way to see out the summer. “Swin or sink” could be the order of the day.
