Cyclone Remal to Hit West Bengal and Bangladesh Coasts by Sunday, Says IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a warning that a cyclonic storm named Remal is set to hit the West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts by Sunday evening. This cyclone, the first pre-monsoon cyclone in the Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify rapidly.

According to IMD scientist Monica Sharma, the system currently a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal, will transform into a cyclonic storm and reach severe levels by Sunday evening. The cyclonic storm is anticipated to reach wind speeds of up to 102 kilometres per hour as it approaches the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh.

The Met office is predicting very heavy rainfall in coastal districts including West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura, and south Manipur. This intense weather is likely to persist from May 26 to May 27, prompting precautions.

Given the warmer sea surface temperatures in the Bay of Bengal, conducive conditions are in place for cyclones to form and intensify. The rapid intensification and sustained potency of tropical cyclones are attributed to these elevated sea temperatures and higher moisture level in the atmosphere.

Senior IMD scientist DS Pai also highlighted that these warmer sea temperatures create favorable conditions for cyclones along with a critical factor of vertical wind shear. He explained that vertical wind shear plays a crucial role in the intensification and weakening of cyclones.