Cyclone Remal to hit Bengal coast; heavy rain & high winds expected; Trains cancelled, no flights till Monday 9 am from Kolkata, fishermen asked not to venture into sea

New Delhi: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ over the North Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify further and cross the Bangladesh and West Bengal coasts by midnight on Sunday with maximum sustained wind speeds of 110-120 kmph, the India Meteorogical Department said.

“Severe cyclonic storm Remal has moved nearly northwards at a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centered over the same region today. Currently maximum sustained wind speed of 95-105 kmph gusting to 115 kmph prevail around the cyclone centre,” the IMD said.

“It is very likely to continue to move nearly northwards, intensify further and cross Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara, close to southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh) by today midnight as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph,” the weather department added.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall between West Bengal's Sagar Island and Bangladesh's Khepupara Sunday night.

Under its influence, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected to occur in coastal districts of West Bengal and Odisha and Northeastern states till 28th May.

Fishermen are advised not to venture into central Bay of Bengal till Sunday and North Bay of Begal till Monday. Also, fishermen out sea are advised to return to the coast.

Kolkata Airport suspends services for 21 hrs

As a red alert was sounded across coastal West Bengal following cyclonic storm “Remal” (pronounced as “Re-Mal”) strike, the Kolkata airport authorities, Indian Railways and ferry authorities either cancelled or suspended services with immediate effect, official sources said on Sunday.

"In view of cyclone REMAL's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, it has been decided to suspend the 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 at Kolkata," Kolkata Airport announced on its X handle.

"The cyclonic storms Remal over North Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards, with a speed of 06 kmph during past 06 hours, intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm and lay centered at 0530 hrs IST on Sunday, over North Bay of Bengal near latitude 19.5°N and longitude 89.3°E about 290 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 330 km south of Mongla (Bangladesh), 270 km south-southeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 390 km south-southeast of Digha (West Bengal) and 310 km south-southeast of Canning (West Bengal)," the IMD said in its latest bulletin.

"It is very likely to continue to move nearly 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, the 26th May 2024 as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph, " the report maintained.

The storm is set to make landfall around Sunday midnight between Sagar islands and Khekupara, the Met department has warned.

Eastern Railway also, meanwhile, cancelled many passenger trains or suspended services in view of the upcoming severe cyclonic storm Remal on Saturday/Sunday.

The train movements in Howrah division will be regulated as a precautionary measure, an official communication said.

Some EMU locals in Howrah Division have been cancelled on May 25 and May 26 as a pre-cyclone precautions.

Cancellation of EMU local trains of Howrah – Bandel section from Howrah: 37273 UP, 37275 UP, 37281 UP, 37285 UP, 37291 UP and cancellation of EMU locals of Bandel – Howrah section from Bandel: 37272 DN, 37276 DN, 37280 DN, 37286 DN, 37288 DN Cancellation of EMU locals of Howrah – Singur – Howrah section: 37303 UP & 37304 DN will remain cancelled from Howrah & Singur respectively.

The passengers have been requested to follow the announcements through the Public Address System at different stations.

The West Bengal Disaster Management continued to carry out announcements on the beach ( Digha) as part of precautionary measures ahead of the landfall of cyclone Remal.

Bharat Sevashram Sangha has started arranging shelter and servicing of food to the pilgrimage at the Gangasagar Island and Sundarbans area to ensure safety of the schools and Milan Mandirs in South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas according to a media release.

To ensure lighting when the storms hit, the Sanga also set up generators to carry out services in case of power disruption.

The state power department and CESC already announced to suspend the transmission of power in the case of a storm for precautionary measures.

The ferry services have been suspended in all the ghats along the Bhagirathi and the fishermen have been asked not to venture for fishing on the rivers and Bay of Bengal, which is already swelling since Saturday.