Cyclone Remal: Strengthening Disaster Preparedness in the Bay of Bengal

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted the intensification of a low-pressure area into a severe cyclonic storm, named 'Remal', in the Bay of Bengal. Expected to make landfall on May 26th between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh, this marks the first major cyclonic event of the 2024 pre-monsoon season. The name 'Remal', meaning 'sand' in Arabic, was provided by Oman, following the standard naming protocol for North Indian Ocean cyclones. From a geophysical perspective, the Bay of Bengal is historically more prone to cyclones than the Arabian Sea due to higher sea surface temperatures and the concave shape of the coastline, which funnels storm surges. The timing—pre-monsoon—is a critical period for cyclogenesis in the region, often resulting in high-intensity storms that threaten the densely populated coastal belts of India and Bangladesh.