By 01:30 EDT on May 27, 2024, the storm was centered off the coast of Bangladesh and adjacent coast of West Bengal. It is expected to continue moving northwards before turning north-northeast and gradually weakening into a cyclonic storm by the morning of May 27, 2024.
Cyclone Rimal: Ahead of the cyclone, disaster management officials and security personnel were put on high alert in Bengal and the northeastern states.
Kolkata: Severe cyclonic storm Rimal has made landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, causing winds at a speed of 135 km per hour. The storm caused heavy rains and inundated houses and farms in Sagar Island and Kipubara near southwest Mongla in Bangladesh at 8:30 pm on Sunday, causing large-scale devastation.
Ahead of the storm, disaster management officials and security forces across Bengal and the northeastern states were put on high alert. District administrations in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram have been directed to take precautionary measures to minimize the impact.
Cyclone Rimal disrupted air, rail and road transport in Kolkata and South Bengal. Eastern and South Eastern Railways canceled several trains, and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata suspended flight operations for 21 hours, affecting 394 flights. The airport announced yesterday that it would resume operations at 9am today. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port in Kolkata has also suspended operations.
A wall collapsed due to heavy rains in Piper Bagan area of the city, injuring one person. Reports from North and South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts indicated widespread damage to thatched roofs, electric poles and trees. Severe flooding occurred in low-lying areas near Kolkata.
Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has issued a warning of extremely heavy rainfall in Assam and other northeastern states on May 27 and 28. Orange and red alerts have been issued for various areas in anticipation of severe weather conditions. Strong winds with speed reaching 40-50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph, are expected over southern Assam and Meghalaya.
The Meghalaya government has advised residents to prepare emergency kits, avoid unnecessary travel and stay updated with weather reports. The Tripura government closed all educational institutions on May 27 and 28 and suspended flight operations on the Kolkata-Agartala route till Monday morning.
The sandstorm destroyed homes, uprooted trees and downed electric poles. One person was injured after being hit by debris in Gosaba district of Sundarban. More than one million people were evacuated from sensitive areas of West Bengal before the cyclone hit.
The West Bengal government has evacuated about 1.10 lakh people from coastal and at-risk areas to cyclone shelters and other safe places. The evacuation operation is focused on South 24 Parganas, especially Sagar Island, Sundarbans and Kakdweep.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting to review the response to the storm, while West Bengal Governor CV Anand Bose kept a close eye on the situation. Bengal Prime Minister Mamata Banerjee urged residents to stay in their homes and assured them of government assistance.
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The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has deployed 15,000 civil servants to manage recovery after the cyclone, including rapid removal of uprooted trees.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains and winds in the areas of South Bengal. Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed in the affected areas including Kolkata. The state government has also equipped State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams for relief efforts.
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Nine disaster relief teams are on standby. The Indian Navy has equipped two ships loaded with humanitarian assistance, disaster relief (HADR) supplies and medical assistance. Special diving and flood relief teams are also ready.
