Bangladesh, Myanmar get ready for powerful storm from cyclone Mocha

There is a rainfall warning for Tripura, Mizoram & other states (Representative Image)

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Mocha will make landfall on May 14 between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar with winds up to 160 kph and gusts as high as 175 kph (110 mph).

The coastal districts of Bangladesh, including Chattogram, Noakhali, and Bhola, are also anticipated to be battered by the cyclone Mocha.

The storm was centred more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) southwest of Cox's Bazar and 930 kilometres (580 miles) southwest of Sittwe in Myanmar on Friday, according to IMD. According to the IMD, the cyclonic storm was over the south-east Bay of Bengal at 5:30 pm on May 11.

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As a powerful storm churned in the Bay of Bengal on Friday, authorities in Bangladesh and Myanmar prepared to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people while advising them to avoid coastal locations.

According to Bangladeshi government administrator Muhammad Shaheen Imran, the evacuation of approximately 500,000 people is scheduled to begin on May 12. 576 cyclone shelters are prepared to house individuals who are relocated from their homes along the shore.

Control rooms in Bangladesh's cyclone-prone regions were prepared to provide emergency assistance. According to Imran, three ports were put on notice.

He said that the government had organised thousands of volunteers for humanitarian work through the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and had allotted dry food, rice, and cash.

Authorities in Myanmar issued warnings about potential landslides and flash floods in coastal areas as locals stocked up on necessities, according to Hla Tun, a director at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

There were emergency reaction drills going on around the country, according to the Myanmar newspaper published by the government, Global New Light. According to reports, thousands of residents of Rakhine State's western coast, where the storm is predicted to pass, are being evacuated.

Rainfall warning for Tripura, Mizoram & other states

From May 13, Tripura and Mizoram are likely to experience significant rains due to the weather system. On May 14, it is anticipated that rain would fall in various locations across Nagaland, Manipur, and south Assam.

Fishermen warning

Fishermen, ships, boats, and trawlers have been urged not to enter the central and northeastern Bay of Bengal and the northern Andaman Sea until May 14, according to the meteorological office. It is urged that sailors in the northern and central Bay of Bengal retreat to the coast.

West Bengal govt takes preventative action

In order to prepare for Cyclone Mocha's potential destruction, the West Bengal government has moved people of the state's low-lying and coastal areas into safe shelters.

Tarpaulins, drinking water pouches, milk powder, dry food, baby food, and medications have been delivered to the safe shelters in various low-lying coastal areas of the Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts.

"Though the weather office has predicted that Cyclone Mocha will dodge past West Bengal, we have taken all precautionary measures in case there is any change. We have shifted people living in the low lying coastal areas of Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas to our safe shelters and adequate relief materials have been sent to these areas," an official told PTI.

According to the official, teams for disaster management and community volunteers have arrived in tourist-friendly locations like Digha, Shankarpur, and Bakkhali.

(with inputs from PTI)