Cyclone Mocha leaves trail of destruction in Bangladesh and Myanmar, next 24 hours critical

New Delhi: Cyclonic Storm Mocha left trails of destruction after it made landfall in the coastal region of Bangladesh and Myanmar at noon on May 14, with a gusty wind of over 200 Kmph.

When the “Extremely Severe” Cyclonic Storm Mocha made landfall at Sittwe on Myanmar’s western coast, it pounded the area with gusts of wind exceeding 200 km/h (124 mph) and torrential rain.

Myanmar’s meteorological department said that wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour are expected in Rakhine coastal areas over the next 24 hours, while tides could rise up to 20 feet.

Many parts of Myanmar are facing strong winds and heavy rain due to the impact of the cyclone Mocha. Communication services were affected in  Rakhine province as a major telecom tower was felled by strong winds.

Mobile phone connection has been lost in Sittwe, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw, Minbya and other areas in the northern Rakhine area

The official government of Myanmar TV network MITV reported trees were uprooted, lamp posts collapsed and buildings were damaged in Ayeyawady, Bago and Yangon Regions due to the strong wind and heavy rain, caused by the Cyclone Mocha.

Meanwhile, Myanmar authorities have launched a massive emergency plan as it brings strong winds and rain along with the threat of flooding and landslides.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Myanmar reports that more than 1 lakh people in Rakhine moved to designated evacuation shelters over the past few days.

Meanwhile, the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that Cyclone Mocha is equivalent to a category 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.

As Cyclone Mocha passes through the north coast of Myanmar, which is around 60 km from the Teknaf area in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, therefore its effects there are less severe than those in Myanmar.

Bangladesh Meteorological  Department Chief said, “It is expected to completely cross Bangladesh by 6 in the evening and the risk to Bangladesh has decreased”.

“The strength of the very severe cyclonic storm Mocha has weakened slightly and it is not likely to cause any major damage to Bangladesh,” he said.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) Chief said the wind speed in the centre of the cyclone and 74 kilometres around it was reported to be 160-180 kilometres per hour.

The tourist destination of St. Martin Island is experiencing winds up to the speed of 100 kilometres as the cyclone is lashing the island.
More than 5000 people from the Island have been evacuated to safer places. 

At Teknaf the wind speed was reported to be 80 to 100 kilometres per hour at 11.30 in the morning today. The government has already evacuated more than 7 lakh people to cyclone shelters in the Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram areas.

Dry Food, water purification tablets and cash have been provided to people who have arrived at more than 1600 cyclone shelters prepared by the government.

Forecasters warned Cyclone Mocha could be the most powerful storm seen in Bangladesh in nearly two decades. About 500,000 people have been evacuated to safer areas.