Recently, Cyclone Bulbul hit the coasts of India and Bangladesh with fierce wind and heavy rain. Cyclone Bulbul, which made landfall between Sagar Islands in South 24 Parganas and Khepupara in Bangladesh, claimed many lives and affected around six lakh people in different parts of West Bengal. Cyclone Bulbul has destroyed crops worth crores and damaged thousands of houses across southern West Bengal.
Areas Affected by Cyclone Bulbul
Bangladesh
The worst-hit district in Bangladesh was coastal zone of Khulna where trees were ripped from the ground by the winds gushing at a speed of more than 100kilometre/hour, blocking roads and hampering access to the area. Some low-lying parts of the district flooding was also reported.
As per the media reports, more than 1500 tourists were stranded on St Martin’s island off south-eastern Bangladesh after boat services were cancelled. In addition, in India approximately 120,000 people, who were evacuated, started to return home as the cyclone weakened.
Cyclone Bulbul also hit the coast at world’s largest mangrove forest Sundarbans, which straddles Bangladesh and India, and is home to endangered species including Bengal tigers and Irrawaddy dolphins. As per the reports, the mangroves shielded the coast from the storm’s full impact.
The two biggest ports of Bangladesh—Mongla and Chittagong—were closed and flight operations at Chittagong airport were suspended. Troops were sent to coastal districts while thousands of volunteers went door-to-door and used loudspeakers to advise people to evacuate their villages. Around two million people across Bangladesh were relocated to cyclone shelters. The death tolls have come down because of quicker evacuations and the building of thousands of coastal shelters.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority suspended all activities at three maritime ports and riverine transport services during the cyclone. The flights to and from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar, Barisal, Jashore domestic airports were cancelled for 14 hours due to the severe cyclone Bulbul.
West Bengal
Cyclone Bulbul made landfall West Bengal around the Sunderban Dhanchi forest, bringing torrential rain and winds gushing at a speed of 135 km/h (85 mph) across much of the southern portion of the state. Some deaths were also reported due to uprooted trees which also caused road blockages in Kolkata. Besides, flight operations at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport were suspended for 12 hours.Besides, schools and colleges remained closed and offices registered low attendance.
Odisha
Though the impact of Cyclone Bulbul was relatively minimal in Odisha, the cyclone’s outer bands caused heavy rain and storms across the Indian state, causing uprooting trees. The crops in coastal regions were damaged to a large extent by the cyclone.
The cyclone affected the power lines in many parts of the State, as well. So far, however, no fatalities have been reported there. Although, over 300 local villagers from Balesore were moved to cyclone shelters.
What is Cyclone Bulbul?
The naming of cyclones follows the guidelines set by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which says that the countries in the region must name storms in any ocean basin. The name ‘Bulbul’ was based on the suggestion by Pakistan.
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Bulbul was a strong tropical cyclone which hit theWest Bengal and Bangladesh. Cyclone Bulbul slowly intensified into a very severe Cyclonic Storm. It is only the fourth tropical cyclone ever recorded to regenerate over the Andaman Sea, having crossed Southeast Asia overland. In addition, it is only the second to make it to hurricane strength, the last being in 1960
Cyclone Images on India Content
You can easily find images of cyclone affected areas on the India Content website. The pictures are available in three sizes—small, medium and large.
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