India

Cyclone Mora: Bangladesh tries to evacuate 1 million people; warnings you need to know

Cyclone Mora: Bangladesh tries to evacuate 1 million people; warnings you need to know

Cyclone Mora hits the Bay of Bengal and it is expected to move towards the north-east part of India. Bangladesh government tries to evacuate one million people. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, it is expected to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ over the next 24 hours. According to the IMD, wind speeds will be in the range of 100-150 kilometres per hour. The storm made landfall in Bangladesh in the main port city of Chittagong at 6 am on Tuesday. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said in a special weather bulletin that it is packing winds of up to 117 kilometres per hour after authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people from low-lying coastal villages. After this landfall, the storm is expected to dissipate, turn into a deep depression which crosses Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

Indian Meteorological Department said in press release that ” A depression formed over the south-east and adjoining east central Bay of Bengal (BoB) in the morning of 28th May 2017. Further moving north east wards it lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, the 29th May 2017 over east-central BoB near Latitude 17.8ºN and Longitude 91.4ºE, about 610 km south-north north east wards and 500 km south-southwest of Chittagong. The system is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours. It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Bangladesh coast between longitude 91.0ºE and 92.0ºE near Chittagong around 30th May 2017 forenoon.

Warnings

30th May 2017:

Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and isolated extremely heavy rainfall very likely over Assam & Meghalaya. Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

31st May 2017:
  1. Rainfall: Rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places very likely over Assam & Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
  2. Wind Warning: Gale winds speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph would prevail over Mizoram and Tripura on 30th. Squally winds speed reaching 45-55 kmph. gusting to 65 kmph would prevail over South Assam, Meghalaya and Manipur on 30th May and along & off West Bengal coast on 29th & 30th. Expected damage over Mizoram and Tripura; Damage to thatched huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to the breaking of branches. Major damage to Kutcha and minor damage to Pucca roads. Some damage to paddy crops, banana, papaya trees and orchards.
  3. Sea condition: Sea condition would be rough to very rough along & off West Bengal Coast on 30th.
  4. Fishermen Warning: Fishermen along & off West Bengal Coast are advised not to venture into the sea on 29th & 30th May and those out at sea are advised to return to the coast. The system is under constant surveillance and concerned state governments are kept informed.

It had previously warned that low-lying areas of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong and many other coastal districts were “likely to be inundated” by a storm surge of 1.2m-1.5m (4-5 feet) above normal levels. Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated to shelters, schools and government offices as of late Monday. Fishing boats and trawlers have been advised to remain in shelters as well. Tracking website Tropical Storm Risk forecasts that Cyclone Mora will move northwards past Chittagong over the next 12 hours, weakening as it moves further inland and downgrading from a Category One hurricane to a tropical storm.

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Pallavi Parmar

Journalism is my profession, Blogging and Writing are my passion, Travelling is my love, Food is my life and Feminist by nature.