‘Severe’ cyclone headed for Bengal by May 26: IMD

Theindiameteorologicaldepartment (IMD) Thursday said that a cyclone is likely to develop in the Bay of Bengal which is headed towards West Bengal, Bangladesh.

When realised, this will be the first cyclone to form in 2024 in the North Indian Ocean basin. When the prevailing system intensifies into the cyclonic storm category, it will be identified as cyclone Remal, proposed by Oman.

On Wednesday, a low pressure had developed over the southwest and west-central Bay of Bengal. This system, by Thursday, intensified into a wellmarked low pressure system and will intensify further in the coming two days.

The IMD has entered the precyclone watch stage and said, “This system will continue to move north-eastwards and concentrate into a depression (wind speed of 31 - 61km/hr) over central parts of Bay of Bengal by May 24. Further, it is likely to continue to move north-eastwards and strengthen into a cyclone."

By May 26, the cyclone (wind speed 62 - 88km/hr) would track a northward movement and is expected to barrel into Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal as a severe cyclone (wind speed over 89 - 117 km/hr).

This will be for the fifth consecutive year when cyclones developed in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon phase. The storms were Amphan (2020), Yaas (2021), Asani (2022) and Mocha (2023) whereas Nisarga (2020) and Tauktae (2021) developed in the Arabian Sea.

Climatologically, during the late May and early week of June, favourable ocean conditions prevail over the North Indian Ocean, --comprising the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea -- and the chances of cyclogenesis are high, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD, had told The Indian Express earlier this week.