Northeast Desk, 27th May: Sikkim experienced moderate rainfall on the morning of May 27 as Cyclone Remal, located over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal, moved nearly northwards. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone, which has been traveling at a speed of 15 kmph over the past six hours, weakened into a cyclonic storm. As of 5:30 AM IST on May 27, it was centered near latitude 22.5°N and longitude 89.3°E, approximately 150 km northeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 110 km northwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 70 km northeast of Canning (West Bengal), and 30 km west-southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh).
The IMD reported that the system is expected to initially move north-northeastwards and then northeastwards, gradually weakening further. The weather forecast for the northeastern states includes light to moderate rainfall at most places, with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated locations across Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura on May 27 and 28.
Furthermore, isolated extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 20 cm) is anticipated over Assam and Meghalaya on May 27 and 28, Arunachal Pradesh on May 28, and Mizoram and Tripura on May 27. Squally winds with speeds reaching 50-60 kmph, gusting up to 70 kmph, are expected over Mizoram, Tripura, and south Manipur on May 27, and 40-50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, over South Assam and Meghalaya on the same day.
In light of these weather conditions, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma issued an urgent warning concerning Cyclone Remal. In a statement posted on the microblogging site X, Sarma announced the implementation of extensive precautionary measures to protect the populace. “We are taking several precautionary measures. NDRF & SDRF teams are on standby, control rooms are operational, and we are deploying a whole-of-government approach to keep our citizens safe. Stay safe and please cooperate with your local administration,” Sarma stated.
The Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has mobilized comprehensive strategies to mitigate the cyclone’s impacts, emphasizing the importance of community preparedness and cooperation during this period.
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