Orange alert for heavy rainfall in NE on May 27, pre-cyclone alert issued for West Bengal coast

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has raised a red flag for the West Bengal coast, issuing a pre-cyclone watch on Thursday. According to the latest bulletin, a well-marked low-pressure area currently looms over Westcentral and adjoining South Bay of Bengal, poised to intensify into a cyclonic storm by the morning of May 25th, 2024. By the evening of May 26th, it is projected to approach Bangladesh and the adjoining West Bengal coasts as a severe cyclonic storm.

In anticipation of the impending weather system, the IMD has forecasted squally weather conditions spreading to adjoining areas of the North Bay of Bengal, with gale-force winds reaching speeds of 60-70 kmph, gusting up to 80 kmph from the morning of May 25th. Subsequently, wind speeds are expected to escalate to 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph over the North Bay of Bengal and 70-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph over the adjoining central Bay of Bengal from the morning of May 26th, persisting for the following 24 hours.

The department has further issued an orange alert for the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura in the Northeast, warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places as a consequence of the cyclone's trajectory.

Additionally, IMD has cautioned against venturing into the Bay of Bengal, as the sea is expected to become rough to very rough over central and adjoining South Bay of Bengal from May 23rd, and over the North Bay of Bengal from the evening of May 24th until the morning of May 27th. Fishermen have been strongly advised to refrain from venturing into the sea until the morning of May 27th, with those currently at sea urged to return to the coast immediately.