Cyclone Remal makes landfall: From IMD advisory to preparedness, here are the top updates

📌 Fishermen have been asked to stay ashore and people in areas, expected to be affected by the cyclone, have been advised to evacuate vulnerable structures and remain indoors. Yellow alert has been sounded for isolated places in Balasore too.

📌 The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has initiated preemptive measures to prevent loss of life or property at sea, with nine disaster relief teams on standby for immediate assistance and surveillance conducted by ICG ships and aircraft.

📌 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chaired a meeting to review the preparedness for Cyclone Remal. It has already led to heavy rains in the coastal districts of West Bengal and in Kolkata.

📌 Stakeholders and state administrations have been alerted, and information on the developing situation has been shared for a coordinated response, with the fisheries department cautioned and the Bangladesh Coast Guard informed to be prepared.

📌 The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 12 teams, with additional teams on standby, and rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard are on alert, along with ships and aircraft ready for deployment. Three NDRF teams are stationed in different districts of Tripura to assist the administration in case of any emergency resulting from the cyclonic storm.

📌 The National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) has met to review preparations, emphasising the importance of timely evacuation of vulnerable areas and the need to ensure fishermen return to safe harbour. In another effort, a control room has been set up in Sundarbans to observe Cyclone Remal.

Satellite image taken between 04:30 pm to 04:56 pm IST shows the location of Cyclone ‘Remal’ (PTI)

📌 In view of Remal’s landfall, Kolkata airport announced the suspension of flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday noon. Approximately 349 flights, domestic and international, have faced the impact of the suspension, according the airport authorities. In addition, several trains have also undergone suspension. A few trains running between Howrah and Singur, with their main line from Howrah and Bandel in the Howrah division have been suspended as declared by the eastern railways authorities.  The Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata will also suspend all cargo and container handling operations for 12 hours from Sunday evening, officials said.

📌 The Tripura government has issued a red alert in four districts – South, Dhalai, Khowai, and West due to the forecast of thunderstorms with lightning, squally winds reaching speeds of 60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph, and heavy to very heavy rainfall on May 27. As a precautionary measure, all schools in Tripura will be closed on May 27 and 28. Due to the closure of Kolkata airport, all flights between Agartala and Kolkata have been suspended. However, services on other routes like Agartala-Guwahati, Agartala-Delhi, and Agartala-Bangalore are operating normally.

📌 The West Bengal Raj Bhavan is available for assistance around the clock at 033-2200 1641 number. West Bengal Governor Dr CV Ananda Bose said that he is ‘closely monitoring the situation and maintaining constant communication with state and central experts to ensure a coordinated response to the impending landfall of Cyclone Remal’ in a post on X.