The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that cyclone Remal has weakened into a cyclonic storm and is expected to diminish further today.
However, the powerful cyclonic storm caused damage in various regions along the Bengal coast before dissipating. Meanwhile, flight operations at the Kolkata airport were yet to resume after being delayed on Sunday afternoon till 9 a.m. on Monday morning as a precautionary measure.
It is worth noting that the landfall process began about 8:30 p.m. across the nearby shores of West Bengal and Bangladesh, between Sagar Island and Khepupara.
The cyclone’s influence caused severe rains to fall in various areas, flooding homes and crops and leaving a trail of destruction.
During the landfall, winds gusted up to 135 kilometers per hour, flattening fragile homes, uprooting trees, and knocking down electric poles. According to reports, one person was hurt after being hit by debris in the Gosaba district of the Sundarbans.
Giving the update of the natural disaster, the Indian Coast Guard said it was “closely monitoring the landfall of cyclone Remal with disaster response team, ships, hovercraft standby at short notice to respond to post-impact challenges”. “Follow official advisories, Stay informed and stay safe,” it further said in a tweet.