Sikkim witnesses moderate rainfall as Cyclone Remal progresses northwards

Sikkim witnessed moderate rainfall on the morning of May 27, after Cyclone Remal over Coastal Bangladesh and adjoining Coastal West Bengal moved nearly northwards.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm which is moving with a speed of 15 kmph during the past six hours, weakened into a cyclonic storm and lay centered at 5:30 hrs IST on May 27 over the same region, near latitude 22.5°N and longitude 89.3°E about 150 km northeast of Sagar Islands (West Bengal), 110 km northwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh), 70 km northeast of Canning (West Bengal) and 30km west-southwest of Mongla (Bangladesh). 

The department informed the system is initially likely to move north-northeastwards, subsequently northeastwards and gradually weaken further.

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places is likely over Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura on May 27 and 28. 

Meanwhile, isolated extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 20 cm) is also likely over Assam, Meghalaya on May 27 and 28, Arunachal Pradesh on May 28 and Mizoram, Tripura on May 27.

Squally wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph is likely over Mizoram Tripura and south Manipur on May 27 and 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over South Assam and Meghalaya on May 27.

Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued an urgent warning regarding Cyclone Remal which is poised to bring severe weather to parts of Assam. In a statement posted on the microblogging site X, Sarma announced that extensive precautionary measures are being implemented to safeguard the populace.