Dhaka: Severe cyclonic storm ‘Remal’ made landfall in Bangladesh on Sunday night as authorities evacuated over 800,000 people from vulnerable areas of the country’s low-lying southwestern coastlines to shelters.
“The cyclone has made landfall and started crossing the West Bengal coast in India through the south-west side of Mongla and Khepupara coast of Bangladesh around 8:30 pm (local time),” a met office spokesman told reporters.
He said the storm approached from Bangladesh’s southwestern coastlines and West Bengal’s Sagar Island and was proceeding towards the northern direction and was “likely to cross the coastlines in the next five to seven hours”.
The storm alongside the high tide turned terrifying,” a district administration official in-charge of a makeshift control room in Patuakhali, said.
Senior BMD meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik shortly before the landfall said the cyclone could unleash a storm surge of up to 12 feet above normal astronomical tide.
He said the high tide was “dangerous” for human lives and vulnerable infrastructures as low-lying deltaic Bangladesh coasts are just one or two metres above sea level and high storm surges can devastate villages.
Meteorologists earlier warned the severe storm could uproot trees and cause major damage to thatched homes and disrupt power and communication systems.