How cyclone ‘Remal’ got its name

Cyclone Remal, a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal that intensified into a cyclonic storm, is expected to turn severe before making landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday night, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday (May 26) morning.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), in its latest bulletin, asked the maritime ports of Payra and Mongla to keep hoisted great danger signal number no ten as cyclone Remal is expected to make landfall on Sunday night.

The Met Office also asked to hoist danger signal 9 for Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram sea ports.

Coastal districts Khulna, Satkhira, Bagerhat, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi, Barguna, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali and adjoining island and char areas will be under the purview of great danger signal number no ten.

The cyclone has been named ‘Remal’, according to a system of naming cyclones in the Indian Ocean region. A standard naming convention is followed for tropical cyclones forming in the North Indian Ocean, including the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, according to Hindustan Times.

As the IMD is a part of the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres (RSMCs), it gives names to the tropical cyclones after consulting 12 other countries in the region. The name ‘Remal’ has been suggested by Oman and means ‘sand’ in Arabic.

Remal is the first pre-monsoon cyclone in the Bay of Bengal this season.