Northeastern States on High Alert as Cyclone Remal Approaches

Ahead of the severe cyclonic storm “Remal,” disaster management and security forces in northeastern India have been placed on high alert. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that Cyclone Remal will make landfall between Sagar Island in West Bengal and Khepupara in Bangladesh, intensifying into a severe cyclone by Sunday midnight. Currently, the cyclone boasts maximum sustained wind speeds of 110-120 kmph, gusting to 135 kmph, affecting coastal areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal with heavy rainfall. The Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, and Mizoram governments have issued advisories, asking their disaster response forces and district administrations to prepare for any eventualities. The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has warned of extremely heavy rainfall over Assam and other northeastern states on May 27 and 28. An orange alert has been issued for several districts, with a red alert for others expecting extremely heavy rainfall. Flight operations in the Kolkata-Agartala route have been suspended until Monday morning due to the cyclone’s impact, while other routes operate normally. This is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this pre-monsoon season and is named “Remal,” which means “sand” in Arabic.