Kolkata: Severe Cyclone Remal is expected to hit the coast of Bengal and Bangladesh between 11 pm on Sunday and 1 am on Monday. Kolkata is expected to bear the brunt of the storm from Sunday afternoon to Monday afternoon, with wind speeds of 70-80 kmph, gusts of up to 90 kmph and very heavy rainfall of up to 200mm.
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Authority has decided to suspend flights for 21 hours from Sunday noon as a precautionary measure. The closure will result in the cancellation of 394 flights, including 28 international flights, affecting 63,000 passengers.
The airline will issue a refund, but if the passenger insists on taking the flight, the airline will attempt to take the next available flight, officials said. It appears airport authorities have decided to close the airport to prevent a Singapore Airlines plane from being tossed around by violent turbulence, killing one passenger and injuring several others.
“The Japan Meteorological Agency has predicted wind speeds of 93 to 111 kilometers per hour on approach, which could lead to severe turbulence and a forced suspension of operations,” an airport official said. Even overhead flights, which are aircraft flying between East and West Kolkata airspace, are being diverted up to 240 km to avoid the strong whirlwinds.
At around 5:30 pm on Saturday, the system intensified into a cyclonic storm over the northern Bay of Bengal and adjoining eastern and eastern parts of the country. It is expected to make landfall between Khuppara and Sagar islands in Bengal around midnight, with wind speeds of 110-120 kmph and gusts of up to 135 kmph over coastal areas of Bengal and Bangladesh.
“Most of the impact of this storm is likely to be experienced in Kolkata during the 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday afternoon. The first six hours from Sunday afternoon will be crucial in determining the impact of the storm,” the local weather forecaster said. MR. said Biswas, director of meteorology at the center.
According to officials, the city of Kolkata lies in the “strong impact zone” of Cyclone Ramal and could move up to 100 km from the city after making landfall. From Sunday afternoon visibility is expected to drop to 50 to 200 meters. Metropolitan Railway officials warned of the risk of power and communications outages as well as damage to infrastructure in Kolkata and neighboring southern areas.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
