Cyclone Remal: Landfall timing, states on alert, preparedness, here’s everything you need to know

Which areas will be impacted by Cyclone Remal in India?

The weather system will bring heavy to very heavy rain in South and North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts of West Bengal on May 26 and May 27, IMD said and also impact north Odisha on May 26-27. Extremely heavy precipitation may hit parts of northeast India on May 27-28.

Heavy rain is likely in the districts of Paschim Medinipur, Purba Bardhaman and Nadia on May 26 and 27, it said.

Cyclone Remal: Which regions have been issued rain alerts and warnings?

A red alert for West Bengal’s coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas district and a warning of 100 to 110 km per hour wind speed on May 26 and 90 to 100 kmph on May 27, accompanied by extremely heavy rainfall, have been issued by IMD.

An orange alert was sounded for Kolkata, Howrah and Purba Medinipur districts. A warning of 80 to 90 kmph wind speed on May 26 and 70 to 80 kmph wind speed on May 27, accompanied with heavy to very heavy rain, has also been issued.

A yellow warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) has been issued for isolated places in Balasore on May 26. The districts in Odisha that are likely to get rains were Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara on May 26 and Balasore, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj on May 27, weather scientist Umashankar Dash said.

Cyclone Remal: What IMD advisory says?

Fishermen have been asked not to venture out into the sea and those at sea have been called to safe berth. The IMD warned of localised flooding and major damage to vulnerable structures, power and communication lines, kutcha roads, crops and orchards in South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal. People in the affected areas have been asked to remain indoors and vacate vulnerable structures.

What are the preparations in place?

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 12 teams and 5 additional teams are kept on standby. Rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard along with ships and aircraft have been kept in readiness. Director General, Shipping is sending regular alerts and advisories to the ports of Kolkata and Paradip. Emergency teams have been deployed by M/o Power for immediate power restoration. District Control Rooms have also been activated and adequate shelters, power supply, medicine and emergency services have been kept ready.

National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) met under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba to review preparedness for the impending cyclone. The Cabinet Secretary said that it must be ensured that the fishermen at sea are called back and people from vulnerable areas are evacuated well in time. He asked the government of West Bengal to review the placement of large hoardings in the areas likely to be affected by the cyclonic storm.

Will it impact elections in the region on May 25?

In a statement issued on Friday, the poll panel said the IMD has predicted “no adverse impact” of cyclone in poll-going constituencies. But it gave no details. Some Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Odisha, along with some parliamentary constituencies of West Bengal, will go for polls on May 25 in Phase 6.

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