The landfall of Cyclone Mocha at 12 Noon, Indian Standard Time. (Image Courtesy: IMD).
Morung Express news
Dimapur | May 14
The Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm (ESCS) “Mocha” (pronounced as “Mokha”), described as equivalent to category five storm, hit Bangladesh and Myanmar coast, tearing off roofs and killing at least 3 on Sunday.
As per the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the storm over Northeast Bay of Bengal moved northnortheastwards crossed north Myanmar-southeast Bangladesh coasts between Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) and Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) close to north of Sittwe (Myanmar) with wind speed of 180-190 kmph gusting to 210 kmph during 12:30 PM to 2:30PM on Sunday.
The ESCS Mocha has weakened into a Very Severe Cyclonic Strom (VSCS) and centred at 5:30PM IST north-northeast of Sittwe (Myanmar) and 140 km east-southeast of Cox s Bazar (Bangladesh), the national weather agency update Sunday evening.
The system is continuing the weakening trend and will become a Cyclonic Strom in next 6 hours, informed the IMD updated at 8 PM.
Meanwhile, as per agency reports, thousands of people hunkered down Sunday in monasteries, pagodas and schools, seeking shelter from a powerful storm that slammed into the coast of Myanmar, tearing roofs off buildings and killing at least three people.
As per the Associated Press, the centre of Cyclone Mocha made landfall Sunday afternoon in Myanmar’s Rakhine state near Sittwe township wind speeds up to 209 kilometers (130 miles) per hour.
The storm previously passed over Bangladesh’s Saint Martin’s Island, causing damage and injuring people, but turned away from the country’s shores before landfall, it added citing Myanmar’s Meteorological Department.
As night fell, the extent of the damage in Sittwe was not clear. Earlier in the day, high winds crumpled cell phone towers, cutting off communications in much of the area, it added.
More than 4,000 of Sittwe’s 300,000 residents were evacuated to other cities and more than 20,000 people are sheltering in sturdy buildings such as monasteries, pagodas and schools located on the city’s highlands, the report said citing locals.
Mewanwhile, the PTI news agency reported that the powerful wind uprooted trees and damaged roofs of several houses in Teknaf and Saint Martin’s Island, which is situated about 9-km south of the tip of Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula.
“The ‘eye’ or the center point of the cyclone made its landfall shortly after midday today on the Teknaf shorelines, coming through the Naf River, ahead of its anticipated time,” the report said quoting Bangladesh Met office spokesman AKM Nazmul Huda.
Cyclone Mocha started hitting the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm. The powerful cyclone brought heavy rain and winds of up to 195 kph, it said.
Accordingly, Authorities on Saturday launched a massive evacuation campaign to relocate close to half a million people along the southeastern coastlines.
Bangladesh has shut down nearby airports, ordered fishermen to suspend their work and set up 1,500 shelters as people from vulnerable areas were moved to safer spots, the PTI report added.
Bangladeshi authorities have set up 55 shelters at Bhasan Char offshore island, where nearly 30,000 of the Rohingya refugees have been relocated from the mainland.
