The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday that strong Cyclonic storm “Remal” would continue to move approximately northward for a while before turning north-northeast and gradually weakening into a Cyclonic Storm after making landfall over coastal parts of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
According to IMD, the cyclone traveled northward and passed across the coasts of Bangladesh and the neighboring West Bengal between the Sagar Islands and Khepupara, about southwest of Mongla.
“The Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Remal’ over the North Bay of Bengal moved nearly northwards, with a speed of 13 kmph during past 06 hours, crossed Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal Coasts between Sagar Islands and Khepupara close to southwest of Mongla near Latitude 21.75°N and Longitude 89.2°E between 22:30 hrs IST of 26th May to 00:30 hrs IST of 27th May 2024 as a Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed of 110 to 120 Kmph gusting to 135 Kmph,” said IMD in a post on X.
“It lay centered at 01:30 hrs IST of today, the 27th May, 2024 over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal, near latitude 21.9°N and longitude 89,2°E about 115 km east of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 105 km west-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 70 km southeast of Canning (West Bengal) and SO km south-southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh), The system would continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm by morning of 27,” added the post.
Uprooted trees in the city are being cleared by Kolkata Disaster Management Municipality and Kolkata Police.
Images from the moring show Kolkata and the South 24 Parganas district being battered by strong winds and torrential rain.
