Weather experts Monday said Cyclone Sitrang will likely make landfall in the early hours of Tuesday. They added that the centre of the cyclone will cross the Barisal-Chittagong coast through the Kuakata coastal area of Bangladesh (Khepupara).
The effect of the cyclone was, however, felt from Monday early morning in the coastal districts of West Bengal.
The low pressure that formed in the Bay of Bengal on October 20 has gradually turned into Cyclone Sitrang. Meteorologists said it could further turn into a severe cyclone Monday.
According to a bulletin from the weather department, “The cyclonic storm ‘SITRANG’ pronounced as ‘Si-Trang’ over eastcentral & adjoining areas of westcentral & northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 21 kmph during past 06 hours and lay centered at 0830 hours IST of today, the 24th October over northwest and adjoining central Bay of Bengal near latitude 18.3N and longitude 88.9E, about 380 km south of Sagar Island and 520 km south-southwest of Barisal (Bangladesh).”
It further said, “It is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours. Continuing to move north-northeastwards thereafter, it is very likely to cross Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip close to Barisal around 25th October early morning.”
However, learning from previous experiences, Bengal chief secretary Harikrishna Dwivedi in a high-level meeting at Nabanna in Howrah, directed the district magistrates to stock up enough relief materials. Evacuation of people from the coastal areas has been ordered. The leave of the Disaster Response team has been cancelled.
A red alert has also been issued for fishermen. A ban has been imposed on fishermen from entering the sea from October 23.
Owing to the impact of the cyclone, heavy-to-very heavy rains are likely over coastal districts like South and North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore of West Bengal on Monday and Tuesday. Rainfall is also likely in West Midnapore, Howrah, and Hooghly. Fourteen teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed in coastal areas. From Monday morning, rainfall started in Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas, and East Midnapore.
The rain adversely affected Kali puja and Diwali shopping. Many shops in Esplanade, Maniktala, Koley Market, and Burrabazar, among other prominent markets in Kolkata, remained closed owing to bad weather.
Abinash Thakur, a vendor of earthen diyas at Maniktala market, said: “Till yesterday, the sale was satisfactory compared to the Covid years. But since this morning (Monday), the business has been dull. We generally get many buyers on the last day…”
Basanti Ghosh, who owns a shop selling paper plates and cups in Sealdah market, said: “The Kali Puja morning is a good day for business…. But today, business has been very bad owing to the rain.”
