Cyclonic Storm ‘Remal’ Intensifies Over Bay Of Bengal: IMD

A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into cyclonic storm 'Remal' and is expected to make landfall between West Bengal’s Sagar Island and Bangladesh’s Khepupara at midnight on Sunday, the IMD said.

This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season.

The deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm 'Remal' and was centered approximately 360 km south-southeast of Khepupara and 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island, according to an update issued by the India Meteorological Department at 7:50 pm on Saturday.

The weather system, moving at a speed of 12 kmph over east-central Bay of Bengal, was 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal at 5.30 pm on Saturday, the IMD said.

The IMD warned of extremely heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rainfall in north Odisha on May 26 and 27 owing to the weather system.

Extremely heavy precipitation is also likely in Assam and Meghalaya, and heavy to very heavy rains in the other northeastern states such as Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Triupra on May 27 and 28.