Cyclone Remal likely to make landfall near Bengal tomorrow

Last Updated27/05/2024

Cyclonic storm ‘Remal’, originating in the central Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm

According to the latest input of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm is likely to cross the coast between Sagar Island of West Bengal and Khepupara of Bangladesh on Sunday with a wind speed of 110-120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph.
Comprehensive pre-emptive measures to ensure minimal loss of life and property at sea have been initiated.
According to the IMD, the well-marked low pressure area over west-central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal concentrated into a depression and lay centred over central Bay of Bengal.
Given the location of likely landfall, the Coast Guard has also notified the Bangladesh Coast Guard asking them to undertake necessary preparations and disseminate alerts to their fishermen and merchant vessels.
A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) analysing the occurrence of tropical cyclones over the last five decades found that the districts on the eastern coast of India are highly exposed to the impacts of cyclones.
The government has been strengthening the adaptive capacity of local stakeholders to reduce the degree of the loss through initiatives like the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP).
Their research indicates that 100% of the population exposed to cyclones now has access to early warning systems.
- However to reduce cyclone-related fatalities, India needs to develop frameworks to climate-proof critical infrastructure.