A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, named “Remal,” and reach Bangladesh and India’s West Bengal coasts by Sunday evening.
This marks the first cyclone of the pre-monsoon season in the Bay of Bengal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD forecasts that the system will evolve into a depression over the central Bay of Bengal by Friday morning, intensify into a cyclonic storm by Saturday morning, and escalate into a severe cyclonic storm by Sunday evening, with wind speeds potentially reaching 102 kilometers per hour.
The IMD has issued warnings of very heavy rainfall for the coastal districts of West Bengal, north Odisha, Mizoram, Tripura, and south Manipur on May 26-27.
Cyclonic storms are becoming more intense and lasting longer due to warmer sea surface temperatures, which are a result of oceans absorbing excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions. The past 30 years have seen the highest sea surface temperatures since records began in 1880.
IMD scientists note that warmer sea surface temperatures contribute to more moisture, creating conditions that favor the intensification of cyclones. The current warm temperatures in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea are conducive to tropical cyclone formation.
