Cyclone Remal made its landfall on the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday leaving a trail of destruction including heavy rains and flooded homes. The landfall process began at 8:30 pm on Sunday over the adjacent coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara, near the southwest of Mongla in the neighbouring country.
The Severe Cyclonic Storm crossed the Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal coasts between Sagar Islands and Khepupara close to southwest of Mongla between 11:30 pm on Sunday and 12:30 am on Monday, said the India Meteorological Department.
The weather department said that the severe cyclonic storm would continue to move nearly northwards for some more time and then north-northeastwards and weaken gradually into a Cyclonic Storm by the morning of May 27, Monday.
- Heavy rains lashed West Bengal in the aftermath of the cyclone with several trees uprooted. Waterlogging was also witnessed in several parts of Kolkata.
- The landfall is being closely monitored by the Indian Coast Guard with a disaster response team, ships and hovercraft on standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges.
- The cyclone flattened fragile dwellings and knocked down electric poles. One person was reported injured after being hit by debris in the Gosaba area of the Sunderbans.
- One person in Kolkata’s Bibir Bagan area was injured after a wall collapsed due to heavy rains
- Roofs of thatched house were blown away, electric polls twisted, and trees uprooted in several areas of North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts, as per a PTI report.
- Thick sheets of rain blurred the vast coastline while the cyclone made landfall while surging waters swept fishing boats inland and inundated mud-and-thatch houses and farmlands in low-lying areas.
- The cylone caused significant disruptions in air and rail schedules and road transportation as Kolkata airport suspended flight operations for 21 hours, affecting 394 flights. Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port had also suspended operations.
