Monday, May 27, 2024 Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ weakened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, maintaining wind speeds of 80-90 kilometers per hour following its landfall around midnight on Sunday, according to the Meteorological Department. The storm, located 150 km northeast of Sagar Island at 5:30 AM, brought heavy rainfall to Kolkata and the coastal districts of West Bengal overnight. The storm is expected to move northeastwards and weaken further, the department said in a bulletin.
Kolkata experienced 146 mm of rainfall from 8:30 AM on Sunday to 5:30 AM on Monday. The city recorded maximum wind speeds of 74 kmph, while Dum Dum, in the northern outskirts, logged maximum wind speeds of 91 kmph. Other areas in south Bengal also received substantial rainfall during this period, with Haldia recording 110 mm, and Tamluk and Nimpith each recording 70 mm.
The weather forecast predicts more rain in Kolkata and the southern districts, including Nadia and Murshidabad, with the likelihood of one or two intense downpours and gusty surface winds until Tuesday morning. Scenes of widespread devastation were evident across West Bengal’s coastal areas, showing extensive damage to infrastructure and property. Cyclone Remal tore through the coasts of Bangladesh and West Bengal with wind speeds reaching 135 km per hour.
The cyclone affected the coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in Bangladesh, after beginning its landfall process at 8:30 PM on.