Cyclone Remal set to weaken as it moves northwards; batters West Bengal, Bangladesh coasts

Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Remal' crossed the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal between Sagar Islands and Khepupara close to southwest of Mongla and is now moving northwards, withIndia Meteorological Department saying it is set to weaken.It crossed between 10:30 PM IST on May 26 and 12:30 AM IST on May 27, 2024.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the storm moved with the wind speed of 110 to 120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph.

It is expected to move north-northeastwards, gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm within the next three hours and further diminishing in strength as it continues its path, as per IMD.

One person was injured by debris in the Gosaba area of the Sundarbans. Over 110,000 people were evacuated from cyclone-prone areas in West Bengal. In Kolkata's Bibir Bagan area, another one was injured when a wall collapsed due to heavy rain.

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West Bengal's North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts reported damage.

Cyclone Remal flooded dozens of coastal villages in Bangladesh and left many without power.Although official casualty figures were not yet available, media reports said at least two were killed in Bangladesh due to the cyclone situation.

Nearly 800,000 residents were evacuated from vulnerable areas in Bangladesh, with volunteers assisting in moving evacuees to around 9,000 cyclone shelters.

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to take stock of the response to the cyclone.

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A total of 15,000 civic employees were mobilised to provide anyhelp needed post-cyclone.Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed in southern Bengal.

Meanwhile, rainand winds in Digha, Kakdwip, and Jaynagar, are expected to intensify on Monday (May 27).

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Cyclone Remal disrupted travel and transportation in parts of southern Bengal. Several trains were cancelled by Eastern and South Eastern Railways in view of the situation. Moreover, operations at the Kolkata airport were also suspended for 21 hours.

The Indian Coast Guard sounded alert to vessels and ships at the sea. The Indian Navy prepared two ships equipped with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

(With inputs from agencies)