At least 10 people were killed and millions were left without power as severe cyclone ‘Remal’ lashed the coasts of Bangladesh with devastating winds of up to 120 kph and storm surges, inundating hundreds of villages. ‘Remal’ weakened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, following landfall around midnight of Sunday. The Met Department reported that the weather system, which lay 150 km northeast of Sagar Island at 5.30 am, brought torrential rain and moved northeastwards to weaken further into a cyclonic storm. ‘Remal’ is the first cyclone in the Bay of Bengal ahead of this year’s monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
Destruction Caused By ‘Remal’
‘Remal’ lashed Bangladesh’s coastlines, levelling thousands of homesteads, smashing seawalls, and flooding scores of villages and towns along the southwestern shorelines. Bangladesh’s junior minister for disaster management and relief, Mohibur Rahman, said that 10 people were killed in the official count so far, while the storm entirely damaged over 35 households and affected over 3.75 million people.
Cyclone’s Human Toll
According to most media tally, the toll had reached 16, as details of the damage continued to be reported from coastlines. The cyclone has been accompanied by gusty winds and heavy rains, impacting areas including Barisal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Satkhira, and Chattogram. Officials and journalists in coastal areas said that of those deceased, some drowned while others were crushed when their houses collapsed.
Worst Affected Areas
According to the Met Office, southwestern Patuakhali town was the worst hit by the severe storm. Wind speeds there rose to 111 kilometres per hour, with tidal surges accompanying the storm, flooding and ravaging huge infrastructure, including thatched houses.
Power outages, infrastructure damage
Power Minister officials said that nearly 3 million people in Bangladesh were without electricity. Residents claimed their cell phone services were inoperative as the devices could not be recharged. The rural power authority has cut off electricity to 15 million people in coastal areas to minimise the damage from ‘Remal’.
Future Trajectory Of Cyclone ‘Remal’
According to the Met Office, Cyclone Remal has moved northward, crossing the coast and is currently positioned near Koira in Khulna. The cyclone is expected to continue its northward trajectory, bringing increased rainfall and weakening to a lower intensity within the next 2-3 hours.
Precautions Measures Taken
On Sunday, Bangladesh evacuated nearly 800,000 people from vulnerable areas. Rahman said volunteers have been deployed to move the evacuees to up to 9,000 cyclone shelters. The government also closed all schools in the region until further notice. Bangladesh also suspended loading and unloading in the country’s largest main seaport in Chittagong and moved more than a dozen ships from jetties to the deep sea as a precaution.