India: Flight operations in Kolkata suspended due to Cyclone Remal – News

The 21-hour suspension came after a warning that the cyclone would hit the coastal region of West Bengal.

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Kolkata Airport. — Photo courtesy: X/Kolkata Airport

The Kolkata Airport Authority of India announced on Saturday that flight operations will be suspended for 21 hours, starting at 00:00 on May 26 and ending at 9:00 on May 27, due to the landfall of Cyclone Remal.

“In view of the impact of Cyclone Remal on the coastal region of West Bengal including Kolkata, a meeting was held with the stakeholders and it was decided to suspend flight operations from 12:00 noon IST on May 26 to 09:00 am IST on May 27 due to forecast strong winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kolkata,” the Kolkata Airport Authority of India said in a statement.

Cyclone Remal is expected to hit the coastal region of West Bengal, including the city of Kolkata, badly. Meanwhile, NDRF Inspector Zaheer Abbas told ANI that they are fully prepared for the cyclone.

“We are fully prepared for the cyclone. If the cyclone hits here, our soldiers are ready to deal with any kind of disaster… Our team is well equipped. Our team is ready to cut trees or help in floods etc… We are ready to deal with any situation,” Abbas told ANI.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a severe cyclone warning for northeast India and coastal areas of Bangladesh. Cyclone Remal is expected to make landfall in Bengal on Sunday.

The cyclone is expected to make landfall in West Bengal and coastal Bangladesh around midnight on May 26. The cyclone will bring extremely heavy rains and strong winds.

“The low pressure area observed in the Bay of Bengal on May 22 has now intensified and is even more depressed. It will further intensify and turn into a cyclone as predicted by us and move towards Northeast India on the morning of 25th. The landfall area of ​​the cyclone is West Bengal and coastal region of Bangladesh and the landfall time is midnight on 26th,” Partha Roy, Director, IMD Agartala, told ANI.

The mainly affected regions are West Bengal, coastal Bangladesh, Tripura and some other parts of the north-eastern states.

Authorities have warned residents of these areas to prepare for adverse weather conditions starting May 26.

According to IMD, the current warning for Cyclone Remal is valid until May 28, but can be extended if the situation requires it.

“The alert is currently in force till 28th, but it may intensify. The impact of these worsening conditions will severely affect the low-lying areas including crops and people are advised to stay at home and avoid outdoor activities during these alert periods,” added the Director of IMD Agartala.