New Delhi: At least two people have died in West Bengal as fierce winds and heavy rainfall brought by Cyclone Remal lashed the coastline of the state and neighbouring Bangladesh on Sunday night, damaging infrastructure and property before losing intensity.
Though the worst is over, the Met department has said moderate rainfall would continue over parts of Bengal and Odisha throughout Monday. The storm is forecast to move north-northeastwards and gradually weaken further into a deep depression by evening.
Among the deceased was a man who was killed when a wall collapsed on him in central Kolkata Sunday evening. An elderly woman in Mousuni Island near Namkhana died of injuries on Monday, after a tree fell on her hut, bringing down the roof.
At least 10 people have lost their lives in Bangladesh, Reuters reported, two among whom were killed when headed to cyclone shelters at the last minute.
This was the year’s first cyclone in the region which has seen frequent storms pummelling low-lying coastal areas, as climate change drives up surface temperatures at sea, the report added.
‘Cyclone intensity could have been higher’
Remal made landfall through Sunday night as a severe cyclone with wind speeds of 110 to 120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, before its intensity reduced early Monday.
As weathermen monitored the cyclone, they observed the storm system was initially attached to the monsoon flow, which could have compounded its intensity. But by the time it was near the coastline, it detached, leaving less time for it to intensify.
“The system intensified into a severe cyclone because the sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal were quite high. The storm intensification is unlikely now, and it will not have any major negative impact on the monsoon advancement as well,” a senior Met official said.
Impact
The trail of destruction became evident with daybreak on Monday as the cyclone snapped power lines, uprooted trees and poles, and blew away roofs off tin and thatched houses. There was flooding in coastal areas and damage to embankments as rain and hide tide rage through the night.
The cyclone ravaged adjacent coasts of the state and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country, after its landfall began at 8.30 pm on Sunday and lasted for a good four hours.
Several pockets of Kolkata were waterlogged and suburban train services from Sealdah remained partially suspended for at least three hours. Flight services at the Kolkata airport resumed Monday morning after remaining suspended for 21 hours. Airport sources, however, said it would take some more time for the situation to become normal, news agency PTI reported.
Weathermen have forecast more rain in Kolkata and the southern districts, including Nadia and Murshidabad, with one or two spells of intense downpour, along with gusty surface winds till Tuesday morning.
Preparedness
Cyclone Remal’s landfall process started on the Indian coast around 9 pm on Sunday. In an alert issued late Sunday night, the Met department had said the forward sector of the wall cloud region started entering land around 11 pm. The landfall process then continued over coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reviewed the preparedness of rescue and rehabilitation on the Indian coast on Sunday, taking stock of disaster management infrastructure and other related aspects. “I pray for everyone’s safety and wellbeing,” Modi posted Sunday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasted extremely heavy rains in parts of West Bengal and Odisha on 26 and 27 May, adding that rainfall activity was also likely in parts of northeast India on 27 and 28 May.
The Kolkata port stopped all cargo and container handling for 12 hours starting 6 pm Sunday evening to 6 am on Monday. Fishermen were advised to not venture into the sea till 27 May.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) deployed around 17 teams in the area, earmarking buildings in three districts where shelters were set up. Control rooms and emergency services were put on standby, according to rescue teams.
( Edited by Tikli Basu)
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