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As is typical during the pre-monsoon season, the Bay of Bengal is bracing for another cyclone. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted the arrival of Cyclone 'Rimal' on May 26. The cyclone, currently forming in the Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify into a deep depression by May 25 and transform into a cyclonic storm by the morning of May 26. According to the IMD, this cyclone will significantly impact the districts of Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal weather.
Starting from May 25, these districts will experience stormy winds traveling at speeds of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour. By May 26, wind speeds are predicted to escalate to between 80 and 100 kilometers per hour, raising concerns about potential widespread damage. Additionally, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Kolkata, Howrah, Nadia, and Jhargram districts. Fishermen have been warned to stay away from the sea. Even after the cyclone makes landfall in Bangladesh on May 26, heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected to persist in West Bengal until May 27.
This will be the first pre-monsoon cyclone of the year, as no cyclones were recorded in April. Historically, pre-monsoon cyclones are more frequent in May compared to April, and the Bay of Bengal sees more cyclonic activity compared to the Arabian Sea.
In April no Cyclones in the Past Five Years: Over the past five years, no cyclones have formed in the Indian seas during April. The last recorded instance was the extremely severe cyclonic storm 'Fani' in April 2019. Fani, a Category V equivalent storm, formed on April 26, 2019, and after a prolonged journey across the sea, it made landfall near Puri, Odisha, on May 3, 2019.
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