In its latest bulletin release on May 24, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that severe heat wave conditions will likely continue over Northwest India’s plains and heat wave conditions over Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat State during the next five days.
On the contrary, a warning for a severe cyclonic storm developing in the Bay of Bengal will likely affect the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh between Sagar Island and Khepupara on Sunday, May 26, as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100 to 120 km per hour. A day prior, the IMD issued a yellow or watch alert over West Bengal’s coastal districts and adjoining districts of North Odisha, North East India, along with a red alert for fishermen in the state for the day.
A well-marked low-pressure area concentrated into a depression over the Central Bay of Bengal at 5.30 am on Friday, about 800 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh) and 810 km south of Canning (West Bengal); it is likely to move towards the northeast and intensify further into a cyclone over east-central Bay of Bengal by Saturday morning—it would then be identified as Cyclone Remal.
IMD’s Warning
On Saturday, adjoining areas of the North Bay of Bengal are likely to experience gale wind speeds reaching 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph, and further “increasing to 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph over the North Bay of Bengal and 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph over adjoining central Bay of Bengal from 26th morning for subsequent 24 hours”, informed IMD.
India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Monica Sharma said, “The system will concentrate into a depression over the central Bay of Bengal by Friday morning. It will further intensify into a cyclonic storm on Saturday morning and reach Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coast as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening.”
The IMD took it to its X handle and shared this weather update:
Well-marked Low Pressure Area over westcentral & adjoining south Bay of Bengal moved northeastwards during past 12 hours and lay over the same area at 1730 IST of 23 May. Very likely to concentrate into a Depression over central parts of Bay of Bengal by morning of 24th May. pic.twitter.com/6xnz7g1F2U
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 23, 2024
This year, Remal will be the first cyclone to hit the Bay of Bengal in the pre-monsoon season.
Probable Impacts
Subsequently, the IMD bulletin notified light to moderate rainfall is expected in most areas, with heavy to very heavy rainfall anticipated at isolated locations in the coastal districts of West Bengal, North Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura, and South Manipur.
The Met Department has issued an orange alert for light to moderate rainfall for various districts in West Bengal, including Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, Jhargram, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has also alerted fishermen in North Bay and the deep sea to come close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice. It has also advised them not to venture into the deep sea.
The Central Bay of Bengal will experience rough to very rough sea conditions from the morning of May 25th, while the North Bay of Bengal will encounter high to very high sea conditions from the evening of May 25th until the morning of May 27th.
The cyclone can potentially impact the Lok Sabha elections Phase 6 polls scheduled for May 25th. In Phase 6, eight seats in West Bengal will go for polls- Tamluk GEN, Kanthi GEN, Ghatal GEN, Jhargram ST, Medinipur GEN, Purulia GEN, Bankura GEN, Bishnupur. In furtherance of such a development, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has cautioned district administrations to implement all necessary precautions at polling stations due to the impending storm.