Cyclone Remal makes landfall

Severe cyclonic storm Remal was making landfall on Bangladesh's coast with strong wind and heavy rainfall, according to the Met Office.
"The cyclone has made landfall and started crossing our Khepupara alongside India's West Bengal coast," a met office spokesman said.
It was moving in the north-western direction towards West Bengal at around midnight.
Two people were killed in the cyclonic storm—one in Satkhira and another in Patuakhali. In Barguna five villages were inundated as a dam breached under the impact of the cyclone.
A young man was swept away as the cyclone pounded Bangladesh coast with rainstorm and swamped the world heritage-site Sundarbans mangrove forest and other low-lying areas late Sunday, sources said.
Codenamed Remal, the tropical storm raged in from
the Bay of Bengal and its eye hit the country's southern coast in the evening before making landfall, latest reports said at 10pm when The Financial Express went to press.
"After crossing the coast around midnight, the cyclone would weaken into a land depression and trigger moderate to heavy rain across the country," said reports quoting the latest meteorological bulletin.
Met office had advised seaports to hoist great danger signal-number 10 in view of the intensity of the oncoming cyclonic storm that also blew over the neighbouring parts of India.
Reports from FE correspondents said the cyclonic storm damaged thousands of homes, crops, fisheries, and livestock, and tragically claimed at least one life until 8:30 pm.
With wind speeds ranging from 90 to 130 kilometers per hour, the storm's centre started hitting the coast at 8:30 pm, whipping tidal surges of 7.0 to 12 feet above normal astronomical tides.
Dams burst, flooding vast regions in the coastal districts.
The Met Office in its 8:30pm briefing Sunday said Cyclone Remal made landfall on the Bay of Bengal coast on Sunday night, with its centre crossing the West Bengal (India) coast and the Khepupara coast of Bangladesh.
The cyclone's centre, initially hitting the southwest side of Mongla around 8 o'clock, was expected to move further north, potentially crossing the coast within subsequent one hour or two.
Shamim Ahsan, Deputy Director of the Cyclone Warning Centre at the BMD, provided updates during the briefing.
Azizur Rahman, Director of the BMD, said, "Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds have been observed across every district along the coast under the cyclone's impact."
He added: Due to the severe cyclonic storm, all rivers in the coastal district of Bagerhat are flowing above the danger level, causing water to enter various low-lying and residential areas near the riverbanks.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 64 kilometers of the cyclone centre was approximately 90 kph, escalating to 120 kph during gusts/squalls.
The maximum sustained wind speed when the storm hits might be 110- 130 kph, said officials.
Sea conditions are anticipated to remain adverse near the severe cyclone centre.
Maritime ports of Payra and Mongla were advised to raise Great Danger Signal No Ten (R) Ten.
Coastal districts including Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Borguna, Barishal, Bhola, and Patuakhali along with their offshore islands and chars were placed under Great Danger Signal No. Ten.
Maritime ports of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram were advised to raise Great Danger Signal No Nine.
Coastal districts encompassing Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, and Chandpur along with their offshore islands and chars were put under Great Danger Signal No Nine.
River ports within the districts of Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Borguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Chattogram, and Cox's Bazar were advised to downgrade Riverine Danger Signal No Three and instead hoist Riverine Great Danger Signal No Four.
Before the cyclone started, more than 200 houses were flooded on Sunday afternoon in the Bagerhat Sadar Upazila, Morelganj, Sharankhola, Mongla, and Rampal Upazilas, according to the district administrations.
Abu Raihan Mohammad Al-Biruni, executive engineer of Bagerhat Water Development Board, said, "Due to the cyclone, the main rivers in Bagerhat were flowing above the danger level by Sunday afternoon. The highest rise in water level was observed in the Pasur River in Mongla Upazila.
"In the afternoon, the river level at Mongla Port exceeded the danger mark by 5 feet, and in the Baleshwar and Bhairab rivers, the water level was two to three feet above the danger mark."
Meanwhile, in the midst of cyclone Remal's onslaught, a harrowing incident unfolded in the afternoon in the Kawar Char area of Patuakhali's Kalapara upazila: a young man was washed away in a tidal surge.
Shariful Islam, aged 24 and hailed from Anantapara area of the upazila, was reported missing by local police.
Mahipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain Talukder recounted the tragic event, stating that Shariful valiantly attempted to rescue his mother-in-law and sister from the storm's wrath around 1:00 pm.
"The Kawar Char submerged under 5.0-7.0 feet of water due to the tidal surge, ultimately leading to Shariful's tragic end," he said.
Locals retrieved Shariful's lifeless body in the same vicinity approximately an hour later.
Meanwhile, Suman Debnath, Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Patuakhali District, revealed that around 35,000 individuals sought refuge in various cyclone shelters across the district by 5:00 pm.
He narrated the scenes of relentless downpour accompanied by fierce winds since morning, noting the rough seas were exacerbating the situation. Overflowing dams inundated several areas, causing widespread flooding.
Speaking on the condition, Water Development Board's Executive Engineer, Md Arif Hossain, said river waters surged one foot above the danger level during high tide, inundating numerous areas with tidal surges.
Efforts to safeguard the embankment of Agunmukha River in Galachipa included the deployment of geo-bags.
District Relief Officer Suman Chandra Debnath said the preparedness measures had been taken, with 703 cyclone shelters and 35 evacuation centers established to mitigate Cyclone Remal's impact.
"Dry rations were promptly distributed to these shelters." He also mentioned the crucial role of approximately 9,000 volunteers from the Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) actively assisting in managing the crisis.
As the situation took a turn for the worse, CPP volunteers initiated evacuation procedures from the coast following the hoisting of Signal 10 at Payra port.
Meanwhile, operations at Patuakhali River Port along the Dhaka-Patuakhali waterway were suspended, confirmed by Patuakhali River Port Traffic Inspector Dinesh Kumar Saha. "All river routes within the district were mandated to cease operations until further notice."
Furthermore, under the severe cyclone's influence and steep pressure gradient, low-lying areas across coastal districts including Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Borguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, along with their offshore islands and chars, are at risk of inundation by wind-driven surges measuring 07.0-12 feet above normal astronomical tide, said the BMD.
Meanwhile, the government cancelled leave of all staffs and officials under city corporations, municipalities including all ministries because of the ongoing cyclone Remal.
State minister for disaster management and relief Md Mohibur Rahman told reporters about the decision after an inter-ministerial preparatory meeting over the cyclone held at the secretariat on Sunday.
Cabinet secretary Md Mahbub Hossain, senior secretary of public administration ministry Mejbah Uddin Chowdhury and representatives of different ministries and state agencies attend at the high-profile meeting.
As part of preparations to prevent the damage caused by Cyclone Remal, the leave of the officials and employees of the city corporations, municipalities including all ministries across the country have been cancelled. Apart from this, all educational institutions in such areas have been set up as shelter centers as these areas could be hit by the Remal.
These institutions will remain open, but no classes will be held, Mr Hossain.
The State Minister said, "We are fully prepared to deal with this disaster in the light of past experience. All kinds of efforts are being worked to take people to safe shelter."
He expressed the hope that that they would be able to bring all people to safe shelter before the Cyclone hit. More than 0.8 million people have already gone to safe shelter from different areas of the coast.
The State Minister urged all the people of the areas which are in danger and may be affected to go to safe shelter without delay.
Mohibbur Rahman said all shelters had already been prepared which have been provided sufficient dry food and medical supplies.
The Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong will be closed from evening to tomorrow (Monday) morning due to the cyclone.
Mentioning the various preparations, the state minister said, "This disaster can be dealt like previously if everyone follows the given instructions sincerely."
Bangladesh Meteorological office forecast 7.0-to 12-foot high tide in 16 districts of the country with rain in almost every part of the country.

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