Bangladesh is ready to evacuate about a million people in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar as the very severe cyclonic storm over the east central Bay of Bengal looked ferocious with rapid intensification and is forecast to begin to have impacts on the south-east coast of the country from Saturday night.
The cyclone Mocha is heading for the Chattogram division, especially for Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Meteorological Department announced on Friday afternoon, asking all fishermen over the north Bay of Bengal to seek shelter immediately, hours before raising the storm alert to great danger signal number eight for Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and Payra ports and local warning signal number four for Mongla port.
The great danger signal number eight has also been issued for districts such as Cox’s Bazar, Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, and their offshore islands and chars.
The districts of Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar and their offshore islands and chars could be inundated by storm surge up to 12 feet above the astronomical tide, the BMD said in a special warning issued at 8:30pm, adding that the other coastal areas under the danger signal eight could experience storm surge up to 7 feet above astronomical tide.
‘The cyclone could not yet form an eye but it will impact the entire Chattogram division, especially Cox’s Bazar,’ said Azizur Rahman, director, BMD, told journalists at a press briefing at his office around 3:30pm.
‘The cyclone centre has become a hotbed of lighting and the impacts of the cyclone could be felt from tomorrow afternoon,’ he said, adding that the landfall time could be delayed if the cyclone slowed down its pace of advance.
At 6:00pm on Friday, Mocha was 930 kms south-southwest of Chattogram port, 860 kms south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 890 kms south-southwest of Mongla port and 855 kms south-southwest of Payra port.
The cyclone moved at a speed of about 14km, which was slightly faster than its pace of movement on Thursday.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 74km of the very severe cyclonic centre is about 140 kph rising to 160 kph in gusts or squalls.
