India, Bangladesh Prepare For First Cyclone in 2024

With the first major cyclone of the year approaching, Bangladesh and India are on high alert after the Indian weather department has forecast wind speeds of up to 120 km/h, Reuters reported today.

The news agency says that the storm is set to make landfall along the low-lying coastlines of the South Asian neighbors late on Sunday.

Accordingly, in Bangladesh, authorities have raised the storm warning to the highest level, issuing alerts across vulnerable coastal districts. Over 8,000 cyclone shelters have been activated, and 78,000 volunteers mobilized.

India has also deployed disaster relief forces in the affected eastern state of West Bengal, where flights have been suspended in the major city of Kolkata amid expected bouts of heavy rainfall.

The low-lying coasts of the South Asian neighbours have seen frequent severe storms in recent years. Cyclone Yaas in 2021 left more than 50,000 people homeless and killed at least one.