As the Bay gets rough, coastal districts brace for cyclone Mocha

Red flags on the beaches caution tourists of the impending danger. Visitors have been warned not to go more than knee-deep water.

If those aren't enough, the waves speak of the upcoming disturbance: the sea is rougher than usual. 

Elsewhere, Cox's Bazar's Bakkhali river estuary is lined with fishing boats and trawlers. Fishermen who had made all the preparations to ensure a good haul were now returning to land one by one. 

Chayed Alam, a fisherman, said they had returned to save their lives. "After the cyclone passes, we will take to the sea again," he said. 

General Secretary of Cox's Bazar District Fishing Boat Owners Association Delwar Hossain said the trawlers which are still at sea will return when the danger signal, currently at two, is hoisted further.

So far, 3,000 trawlers are anchored on the coast and around 2,000 are still out at sea.

The Department of Meteorology predicts Cyclone Mocha to hit Cox's Bazar on Sunday. Preparations are already underway to meet what may be a severe cyclonic storm.

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. 

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 have been prepared in the district to accommodate people while 98% of boro paddy has been harvested in the district, the UNB report added.

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 kms 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.

However, advice was given to the farmers to surround the edge of the enclosures with netting at a height of 2.5 feet above the water and 6.5 feet above the ground, said Russel.

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

Md Rafiqul Islam, deputy director of Bagerhat Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said, "The boro paddy from the remaining 2% land or about 243 hectares, will be harvested within a day or two."

Voicing concern, Rafiqul also feared that the cyclone may damage mangoes and that's why he also asked the mango farmers to harvest the fruits from their orchards as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the local administration has kept 446 shelters ready to accommodate about 2,35,975 people.

Port to open control room if danger signal reaches 4

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

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

Further action will be decided following a Standing Committee meeting.

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.

According to the CPA, currently all activities of Chittagong Port are normal. 

Ataul Kabir, director (Operation) of Water Transport Cell, said operations will be halted if the sea becomes rough.

When the Meteorological Department issues signal number 3, the port issues first level warning or "Alert-1". The port issues Alert-2 for signal number 4. 

Apart from this, "Alert-3" is issued for distress signal numbers 5, 6 and 7. 

In case of high distress signals 8, 9 and 10, the highest warning or "Alert-4" is issued in the port.

Chittagong port activates a control room when Alert 2-is issued. When Alert-3 is issued, all types of vessels are moved from the jetty to open anchorage. 

When Alert-4 is issued, all port operations are suspended.

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.

Regarding cyclone preparations, state minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman on Wednesday said, "We are acting in accordance with the SOD [Standing Orders on Disasters]. I have communicated with field personnel. The forecast indicates that Cox's Bazaar is the most vulnerable. Most at risk are the low-lying areas of St. Martin Island and Teknaf."

Enamur Rahman said the authorities will start moving people to cyclone shelters if  the cyclone danger signal reaches 5, 6 or 7.

The state minister said the army, the navy and the coastguard are also ready.

"We hope to bring down the loss of life and property to zero [if it strikes]," 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).