Bulbul Cyclone: Flight ops suspended at Kolkata Airport from 8pm today to 6am tomorrow

The flight operations at Kolkata Airport will remain suspended from 8 pm today to 6 am tomorrow due to Cyclone Bulbul, which has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm. It is likely to make landfall between West Bengal and Bangladesh in the early hours of Sunday.

Meanwhile, authorities in Bangladesh have ordered the evacuation of about 18 lakh people from the low-lying coastal villages and islands as the country braced for a "very severe" Bulbul cyclone.

Officials from the disaster management ministry said thousands of people have already been moved to safe shelters as the evacuation process was underway particularly in 10 southwestern coastal districts, which are likely to face the maximum brunt of the Cyclone.

Yesterday, The NDRF has stationed a total of 34 teams in West Bengal and Odisha in view of the approaching severe cyclone Bulbul.

The National Crisis Management Committee, headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, on Friday took stock of the preparedness for rescue and relief operations for 'Bulbul', which is likely to hit Odisha and West Bengal.

The IMD has said the cyclone, which had developed over Bay of Bengal, has now intensified and is likely to cross the West Bengal coast by early Sunday morning. Heavy-to-extremely heavy rainfall, accompanied by winds reaching up to 110-120kmph and tidal waves up to 1.5 metres, are expected.

ALSO READ | Bangladesh orders massive evacuation for Cyclone Bulbul

ALSO READ | Cyclone Bulbul: 34 NDRF teams in West Bengal, Odisha