C T Online Desk: The very severe cyclone Mocha began crossing the Bangladesh coast at a speed of 215kmph on Sunday morning.
Based on its current trajectory, the majority of the storm, including the eye, is predicted to hit northern Myanmar, while the remainder will affect the coastal areas of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh.
Notably, during the previous cyclone, Sitrang, a significant portion was directed toward India, with a smaller portion impacting Bangladesh.
However, during Cyclone Sidr, the entire storm passed over Bangladesh.
According to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Director Md Azizur Rahman, Cyclone Mocha has a diameter of more than 500 kilometres. Its impact will be felt in many areas of Bangladesh. However, it cannot be compared in intensity with Sidr.
He stated that Mocha has begun crossing the last borders of the country, with half of it directed toward Myanmar and the other half towards Bangladesh.
The BMD director pointed out that the entire cyclone Sidr passed over Bangladesh, causing significant damage, whereas the areas of Bangladesh within the range of Mocha will be less.
The most vulnerable areas in Bangladesh due to Mocha are Cox’s Bazar, Teknaf and St Martin’s Island.
The maritime port of Cox’s Bazar was asked to hoist great danger signal No 10.
Usually, a tropical storm or cyclone is identified when wind speeds reach between 62 and 88 kilometres per hour. If the speed ranges between 89 and 117 kilometres per hour, it is classified as a severe cyclonic storm. Winds reaching between 118 and 219 kilometres per hour categorize a cyclone as a very severe cyclonic storm or hurricane. Anything above 220 kilometres per hour is classified as a super cyclone.
The met office reports that Cyclone Mocha’s speed is currently 215 kilometres per hour, close to a super cyclone. However, after hitting the coast, its speed may decrease to between 180 and 190 kilometres per hour, thus it would not be classified as a super cyclone.
Meteorologist Shahinul Islam said that while the storm’s speed had decreased slightly on Saturday evening, it picked up again during the night.
He had predicted that Mocha would begin crossing the coast by 9am, but it started to cross the coast a bit earlier.
Shahinul Islam expects that the storm will finish crossing the coast by Sunday evening. The majority of the storm and its eye will pass over Myanmar, with the remainder passing through Cox’s Bazar.
He mentioned that there has already been stormy rain along the coast and that most parts of the country could experience rain due to the storm’s influence on Sunday.
What will happen to St Martin’s?
BMD chief Azizur Rahman said since there are no significant barriers on St Martin’s Island, Cyclone Mocha will face no obstacles. Thus, it will directly hit the island.
When the centre of the storm crosses St Martin’s, water will flow from one side of the island to the other side, said the director
Azizur Rahman further stated that due to the intensity of the storm, the island may be submerged for some time. However, the water will not remain stagnant. In that regard, that water may also recede.
The situation entirely depends on the speed of the storm, he added.
Will it rain in other areas of the country?
The BMD said that clouds will spread in various parts of the country once the storm crosses the coast. The sky over Dhaka is already gathering clouds.
Weather expert Shahinul Islam said rain could occur in Dhaka and Sylhet on Sunday due to the impact of the storm.
However, Director Azizur Rahman said that by early Monday, clouds will spread across the country. During this time, the amount of rainfall in Dhaka and Sylhet may increase.
