Cyclone Remal, the first pre-monsoon cyclone in the Bay of Bengal following a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify, and by Sunday evening (May 26), it will reach Bangladesh and the surrounding coasts of West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm.
Cyclone Remal, according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region, will result in heavy rains and strong winds in the region.
IMD Forecast
India Meteorological Department (IMD) scientist Monica Sharma told PTI that the cyclonic system will concentrate into a depression over the central Bay of Bengal by May 24 morning. "It will further intensify into a cyclonic storm on Saturday morning and reach Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coast as a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening."
According to PTI report, quoting senior IMD scientist DS Pai, warmer sea surface temperatures mean more moisture, which is favorable for the intensification of cyclones.
Former secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, Madhavan Rajeevan, said a sea surface temperature of 27 degrees Celsius and above is needed for a low-pressure system to intensify into a cyclone.
The sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal is around 30 degrees Celsius at present. "The Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are very warm at present, so a tropical cyclone can easily form."
But tropical cyclones are not only controlled by the ocean; the atmosphere also plays an important role, especially in terms of vertical wind shear, a change in wind speed and/or wind direction with altitude. "A cyclone will not intensify if the vertical wind shear is very large. It will weaken," Rajeevan said.
"Initially, the system will help the monsoon progress over the Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it will detach from the monsoon circulation and pull a lot of moisture, which could result in a slight delay in the monsoon progress in that area," Pai told PTI.
What You Should Know About Remal Cyclone
According to IMD, the cyclone is likely to reach a wind speed of 102 kilometers per hour on Sunday.
A warning of very heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura and south Manipur on May 26–27 has been issued.
Fishermen have been advised to return to the coast and not venture into the Bay of Bengal until May 27.
Scientists say cyclonic storms are intensifying rapidly and retaining their potency for longer periods due to warmer sea surface temperatures, a result of oceans absorbing most of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions.
The past 30 years have witnessed the highest sea surface temperatures since records began in 1880.
Coastal Districts On Alert
The Met Office has warned of very heavy rainfall in the coastal districts of West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura and south Manipur on May 26-27. Fisherfolk out at sea have been advised to return to the coast and not venture into the Bay of Bengal until May 27.
