Cyclone Mocha could turn into a super cyclone
Farmers have been instructed to harvest 80% of the paddy, mango and other crops to avoid possible damages during the impending cyclone Mocha.
Cyclone Mocha may potentially escalate into a super cyclone as it is supposed to hit the coastal region of Cox's Bazar and Myanmar's Rakhine region next Sunday, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Mohammad Enamur Rahman.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, he said that the cyclone is likely to hit between the night of 13 May and the morning of 14 May, and that low-lying areas such as St Martin's may be particularly vulnerable.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agricultural Extension has directed the farmers to harvest 80% of the paddy, mango and other crops to avoid possible damages during the impending cyclone Mocha.
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The department issued a press release in this regard on Tuesday.
It also asked the authorities concerned to take measures for a massive campaign at the field level to inform farmers about the cyclone warning and to advise them through staying at the workplace during the time of cyclone.
According to Mostofa Kamal Palash, weather and climate researcher at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, there is a possibility that the current deep depression could develop into a cyclone by Wednesday. If this happens, the cyclone may make landfall on the southeast coast of Bangladesh after 6 am on Sunday morning.
However, he added that the center of the cyclone potentially moving towards Chattogram cannot be ruled out at this point. It is still too early to determine the exact path and movement of the cyclone.
He said the cyclone may cause heavy rainfall in different parts of Bangladesh.
"Due to this cyclone, 250 to 400 millimetres of rain is expected in Chattogram and Cox's Bazar districts, 200-300 mm in Barisal division and districts of Chattogram Hill Tracts, 150-250 mm in the districts of Khulna, 100-200 mm of rain in the districts of Dhaka and Sylhet divisions, 50-100 mm in the districts of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and 100-150 mm in the districts of Mymensingh," he added.
Md Azizur Rahman, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said the deep low pressure in the southeast Bay of Bengal is currently moving towards the west and northwest, and it is expected to continue in this direction until tomorrow.
"Once it reaches the center of the ocean, it is expected to move towards the north and northeast," he said.
He also expressed concern about the potential damage that could occur in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar due to the cyclone.
