Health Tips: PM Modi called a meeting for Remal Cyclone!

Cyclone Remal has intensified and landfall of severe cyclonic storm Remal has started in the coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh. The department said that when Remal reaches the coast, the winds will blow at a speed of 110 to 120 kilometers per hour and their speed will be up to 135 kilometers per hour.

Due to the cyclone, heavy rains are expected in the coastal districts of West Bengal and heavy to very heavy rains in Kolkata and surrounding areas. 14 NDRF teams have been deployed in Bengal for relief and rescue.

train wheels tied with chains 

As a precautionary measure in Bengal's Howrah in view of the threat of Ramal, trains have been tied to the railway track with chains and locks at the Shalimar railway station to prevent the trains from slipping due to strong winds.

The weather department said that Ramal is moving towards north and is likely to intensify further before crossing the coasts between Sagar Island (West Bengal) and Khepupara (Bangladesh), near south-west of Mongla port by Sunday midnight.

PM Modi called a meeting

Meanwhile, PM Modi called a meeting on Sunday to review the preparations made to deal with Remal. The Prime Minister was told that the NDRF is in regular contact with the West Bengal government. All fishermen have been advised not to go to the South Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. About one lakh people are being evacuated to safer places. The IMD is also giving information to Bangladesh with regular updates.

Somnath Dutta, head of the eastern region of the Meteorological Department in Kolkata, said that winds will blow at a speed of 45 to 55 kilometer per hour in many districts of South Bengal from Sunday evening, affecting Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly and East Medinipur.

Less devastation than Amphan 

Dutta said, 'Remal will cause damage, but it is likely to cause less devastation than Cyclone 'Amphan' in 2020.' In view of the cyclone, Eastern and South Eastern Railways have canceled many train services in the coastal districts of South and North 24 Parganas and East Medinipur district as a precautionary measure.

Kolkata airport authorities have decided to cancel flight operations for 21 hours from Sunday afternoon due to the possible impact of Cyclone Ramal.

394 flights will not fly

A spokesperson of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said that a total of 394 flights, both international and domestic, will not be operating from the airport during the flight suspension period. Officials of the Kolkata-headquartered North East region of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) said that they have taken all precautionary measures to ensure that there is no loss of life or property at sea.

Cargo and container management operations at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port in Kolkata will also remain suspended for 12 hours from Sunday evening due to the cyclone forecast.

Winds blew at a speed of 90-110 km

The cyclone was located 240 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in the North Bay of Bengal till 11:30 am on Sunday and during this time the winds blew at a speed of 90-100 km per hour and their speed was up to 110 km per hour. This is the first cyclone to hit the Bay of Bengal in the pre-monsoon season.

The weather office has issued a warning of very heavy rains in the coastal districts of West Bengal and northern Odisha on May 26-27. Very heavy rains are also expected in Assam and Meghalaya. Heavy to very heavy rains are expected in Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura on May 27-28.

Water may fill in low lying areas

When the cyclone reaches the coastal areas of West Bengal and Bangladesh, there is a possibility of flooding in low lying areas due to storm waves of up to 1.5 meters. The weather office has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea in the northern Bay of Bengal till Monday morning.

Heavy to very heavy rains have been predicted in North and South 24 Parganas, East Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly districts. Red alert has been issued for these areas due to the possibility of very heavy rains in North and South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur districts. Nadia and Murshidabad districts may also receive heavy to very heavy rains on 27-28 May.

Many trains were canceled

The Eastern Railway has suspended train services on the Sealdah South and Barasat-Hasnabad sections from 11 pm on Sunday to 6 am on Monday as a precautionary measure, resulting in cancellation of several local trains.

South Eastern Railway has also cancelled the Kandari Express on Sunday and some trains to and from Digha on Sunday and Monday.

Heavy rain is also expected in Odisha

In northern Odisha, heavy rains are expected in Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts on 26-27 May and Mayurbhanj on 27 May. Very heavy rains are expected in North Bengal districts Cooch Behar, Alipurdurwar and Jalpaiguri on 28-29 May. Apart from this, heavy rains are also expected in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, North and South Dinajpur districts.

The IMD has warned of flooding in the South and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal and heavy damage to weak structures, power and communication lines, unpaved roads, crops and gardens. People in the affected areas have been advised to stay indoors.

ICG took these steps to avoid losses 

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has taken precautionary measures to prevent loss of life and property at sea and fishing vessels and commercial vessels at Haldia and Paradip have been alerted.

The ICG has kept ships and aircraft ready besides disaster relief teams for search and rescue operations at Haldia, Fraserganj, Paradip and Gopalpur.

The state agency has set up a control centre at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar for coordination. "Ten teams of Kolkata Police have been deployed in 10 police divisions of the city," a senior police officer said. NDRF teams are also moving to districts that are likely to be affected by the cyclone.

Such preparations are being made in many districts of Bengal

The NDRF has deployed its teams and instruments in several districts including Kolkata, North 24-Parganas, East Medinipur, West Medinipur, South 24-Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly.

The cyclone is also likely to affect the Sundarbans mangrove forest. The Sundarbans is one of the largest forests in the world and is known for its diverse fauna including 260 species of birds, the Bengal tiger and other endangered species such as the estuarine (saltwater) crocodile and the Indian python.

Spread over 9,630 sq km on the borders of West Bengal and Bangladesh, the Sundarbans is one of the areas most affected by sea level rise, salinity and land erosion due to climate change.

Scientists say that due to warm sea surface temperatures, cyclones are intensifying rapidly and maintaining their effect for a longer period of time.

According to D S Pai, senior scientist at IMD, warming of the sea surface means more moisture, which is conducive for cyclones to intensify.