Cyclone Remal is expected to hit the coast of West Bengal and Bangladesh as a severe cyclonic storm on May 26, coinciding with the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for light to moderate rainfall in several districts, including Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, Jhargram, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur.
According to the IMD, Cyclone Remal is predicted to make landfall with wind speeds of 110-120 kilometers per hour, gusting up to 135 kilometers per hour, and will maintain its severity for approximately 24 hours until the morning of May 27, after which it will weaken.
The storm is anticipated to intensify into a deep depression by May 25 and escalate into a severe cyclonic storm by May 26. The IMD's bulletin detailed that a well-marked low-pressure area over the west-central and adjoining south Bay of Bengal has moved northeastwards, forming a depression. This system is currently located about 800 km south-southwest of Khepupara, Bangladesh, and 810 km south of Canning, West Bengal.
The IMD advised that the cyclone will likely continue moving northeastwards, strengthening into a cyclonic storm over the east-central Bay of Bengal by the morning of May 25 and into a severe cyclonic storm by the evening of May 25. It is forecasted to cross the coasts between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh around midnight on May 26.
Fishermen have been warned to return to the coast and avoid venturing into the Bay of Bengal until May 27 due to the severe weather conditions.
The impending cyclone poses a challenge for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections in eight West Bengal constituencies: Tamluk, Kanthi, Ghatal, Jhargram, Medinipur, Purulia, Bankura, and Bishnupur. The Election Commission has alerted district administrations to take necessary precautions at polling stations.
West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Ariz Aftab has reviewed the situation with police superintendents and state disaster management officials, directing them to implement measures to prevent any adverse incidents. State disaster management sources confirmed that additional personnel have been dispatched to coastal districts to bolster preparedness and response efforts.
