(CTN News) – Bangladeshi weather specialists said Tuesday that a devastating storm that wreaked havoc was one of the fastest-forming and longest-lasting they’d ever seen, blaming climate change for the shift.
Cyclone Remal, which hit low-lying Bangladesh and neighboring India on Sunday evening with severe gales and crashing waves, killed at least 21 people, wrecked thousands of homes, shattered seawalls, and inundated cities in both nations.
Cyclone Remal Kills 16, Snaps Power Links to Millions in India and Bangladesh
According to Azizur Rahman, director of the state-run Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the current storm is one of the longest in the country’s history, lasting over 36 hours.
In contrast, Cyclone Aila devastated Bangladesh in 2009 and lasted approximately 34 hours.
In recent decades, cyclones have killed hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh, and the number of superstorms hitting the country’s densely populated coast has increased dramatically, from one per year to as many as three, as a result of climate change.
Cyclone Remal kills 16 and disrupts power supplies to millions in India and Bangladesh.
Slow-moving storms cause more damage because they linger longer.
Rahman stated that the cyclone caused heavy rains, with certain places receiving at least 200 millimeters (7.9 inches).
‘Impact of Climate Change’
He stated that the cyclone formed faster than nearly all cyclones they have tracked in recent decades.
“Of course, quick cyclone formation and the long duration of cyclones are due to the impact of climate change,” Rahman stated.
The low pressure in the Bay of Bengal needed three days to intensify into a strong cyclone. “I’ve never seen a cyclone form so quickly from low pressure,” he said.
“Usually, a cyclone is formed in the south and southwest of the Bay of Bengal, then takes seven to eight days to turn into a severe cyclone.”
While experts believe climate change is causing more storms, better forecasting and evacuation preparations have significantly cut death tolls.
In Bangladesh, Cyclone Remal killed at least 15 people, including 12, according to Kamrul Hasan, the country’s disaster management secretary.
Some drowned. Others suffered fatal injuries when their homes collapsed or trees uprooted by gales fell on them.
On Tuesday, police inspector Bacchu Mia told AFP that three additional people had died in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, after “they touched live electricity wires which fell on the roads when the storm hit”. In India, six persons were killed, according to West Bengal state officials.