Cyclone Bulbul: Flight ops to remain suspended at Kolkata airport

In view of Cyclone Bulbul, flight operations will remain suspended at Kolkata Airport from Saturday evening to Sunday morning.

"Flight operations to remain suspended at Kolkata Airport from 1800 hours today till 0600 hours tomorrow," the Kolkata Airport Authority said.

Earlier in the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone 'Bulbul' is likely to weaken gradually and move northeastwards and cross West Bengal and Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island and Khepupra."Cyclone Bulbul's present intensity is 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph. It is likely to weaken gradually and move northeastwards and cross West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Island (WB) and Khepupra (Bangladesh)," the IMD said.The cyclone is expected to arrive across Sunderban Delta today between 8 pm and 11 pm. The maximum wind speed of the cyclonic storm will be 110-120 kmph gusting to 135 kmph.

This afternoon at 2.30 pm, it lay about 90 km South-Southeast of Digha, 85 km South of Sagar Islands, 120 km east of Chandbali, 140 km east-northeast of Paradip (Odisha), 120 km east-southeast of Balasore, 185 km south-southwest of Kolkata, said the IMD's Kolkata centre.

The IMD has predicted heavy falls under the influence of cyclonic storm in the districts of Balasore, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Bhadrak and isolated places over Howrah and Hooghly on November 9. On Friday, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) deployed 16 teams to deal with the cyclonic situation in West Bengal and Odisha.