Coastal areas prepare for Cyclone Mocha

The coastal districts of the country have started preparing to face the imminent threat of Cyclone Mocha, which is predicted to make landfall in Cox's Bazar on Sunday.

Red flags have been placed on the beaches to warn tourists of the impending danger, and visitors have been advised not to go into the water beyond knee-deep.

Cox's Bazar District Administrator Muhammad Shaheen Imran said the Cox's Bazar district administration has set up control rooms in all upazilas. Some 576 shelters, including all cyclone shelters and schools in the coastal areas of the district, have been kept ready.

Around Tk10 lakh in cash, 490 tonnes of rice, seven tonnes of dry food and 194 bundles of tin have also been stored.

Additional Commissioner of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commission office Shamsud Douza Nayan said there are 33 refugee camps in Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar.

A preparatory meeting on the cyclone was held on Thursday morning.

Cox's Bazar Meteorological Office said the sea will remain rough for the next week due to the impact of the cyclone.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Water Resources and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) launched two separate control rooms to deal with various issues centring Cyclone Mocha.

All information and services related to the cyclone will be available in the emergency numbers – 01318-234560 for the ministry's control room and 01775-480075 for the BWDB, said a press release on Thursday.

Sleepless nights in Bagerhat

Residents of Sharankhola, Baleshwar, Pashur in Mongla and Panguchhi in Morelganj upazilas are passing sleepless nights, worrying over when and where the storm and high tide will hit, exposing the vulnerabilities of many dykes which need repairs.

If the water rises five feet above average, a number of villages will be flooded as 11km of embankment is at risk while around 25,000 shrimp enclosures may be washed away, said locals, according to a UNB report.

At least 446 cyclone shelters to accommodate about 2,35,975 people have been prepared in the district while 98% of boro paddy has been harvested in the district.

On Thursday, disaster preparedness committees organised meetings in Bagerhat district administration and nine upazilas of the district.

Besides, more than 522 tonnes of rice and Tk10 lakh has been allocated for relief distribution by the district administration.

Muhammad Azizur Rahman, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat, said that all government officials and employees' leaves in the district have been cancelled to manage the situation.

Around 11 km of embankment at different points is in vulnerable condition. Many villages in the district will be inundated if the tidal water rises.

Masum Billah, executive engineer of Bagerhat Water Development Board, said there are 340 km of dam in the district and currently, the authorities concerned are repairing a three km dam in Morrelganj upazila.

Meanwhile, the shrimp industry of the district may experience a huge loss as all shrimp enclosures could be washed away due to high tide.

ASM Russel, Bagerhat District Fisheries officer, told UNB that there are 73,000 fish enclosures and of these, 25,000 are in vulnerable condition.

Besides hearing about Cyclone Mocha, farmers have already harvested their boro paddy; 98% of the paddy has been harvested in the district.

90 shelters in Chattogram

Chattogram City Corporation has prepared 90 shelters to deal with Cyclone Mocha. The control room has also been opened.

People will get all information and services related to the cyclone at the emergency service number 023-333-630-739 of this control room in Dampara of the port city.

Chattogram City Mayor Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury said that saving people's life and property from the impact of the cyclone has been given the utmost priority.

The Chattogram Port Authority (CPA) will open a control room if the danger signal reaches four. Currently, the signal stands at two.

Secretary of Chattogram Port Authority Md Omar Farooq said there is a preparatory plan based on the signal of the weather department.

In a special notification of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payara seaports have been asked to show warning signal number 2.

Khulna considered safe for now

The Khulna local administration has kept 409 cyclone centres prepared for sheltering 2,73,850 people.

Abdul Karim, district relief and rehabilitation officer, said the upazila level officials were asked to remain in their respective workplaces and take precautionary measures, the UNB reports.

They were also asked to take steps to inform people about the danger signal through loudspeakers.

Amirul Azad, in-charge of Khulna Weather Observatory Centre, said due to the impact of Cyclone Mocha heavy rains accompanied by gusty wind may lash the district on May 13.

However, unless the direction changes, there is no possibility of the cyclone hitting the Khulna coast, he said.

What is a tropical cyclone?

A tropical cyclone is the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organised convection and definite cyclonic surface wind circulation.

According to Nasa, tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) are usually called "tropical depressions". Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) they are typically called a "tropical storm" or in Australia a Category 1 cyclone and are assigned a name. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph), then they are called "tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean).