State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman has said that highest danger signal 10 will be hoisted in the coastal areas and ports of Bangladesh from 6am Wednesday.
Enamur shared the government’s decision during a virtual press briefing from his office at the secretariat in Dhaka on Tuesday afternoon.
He said that people will have to be in the cyclone shelters before 8pm Tuesday, and after danger signal 10 is hoisted the next morning, there will be no scope to take people to the shelters as it would be too dangerous for everyone, including government workers and volunteers, to be in the field.
The special precautionary measure has been taken as the now extremely severe cyclone Amphan is moving across the Bay of Bengal and likely make landfall in Bangladesh’s coastal areas by Wednesday morning, Enamur.
Two million people will be accommodated in 12,078 shelters which have been prepared to take in people while maintaining one-metre social distance to stay safe from the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
The state minister said they reached the decisions after meeting with the concerned ministries, the cabinet secretary, the prime minister’s principal secretary and other departments concerned before the press briefing.
The warnings are usually given on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being used for the deadliest of storms or cyclones.
Where is Amphan now?
According to the Met Office, cyclone Amphan over west central bay and adjoining area moved north-north-eastwards and lies over the same area as an extremely severe cyclonic storm.
It is likely to move in a north-north-easterly direction and may cross Bangladesh coast between Khulna and Chittagong on Wednesday afternoon or evening.
Under the influence of the cyclone and the new moon phase, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barisal, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of five to 10 feet height of above normal astronomical tide.
At 3pm Tuesday, the cyclone was centred about 785 km southwest off Chittagong port, 740 km southwest off Cox’s Bazar port, 670 km south-southwest off Mongla port and 665 km south-southwest off Payra port.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 85 kms of the cyclone centre is about 200 kph rising to 220 kph in gusts/squalls. The sea will remain very high near the super cyclone centre.
