Cyclone Mocha Intensifies Into Severe Cyclonic Storm, To Hit Bangladesh Coast @175kmph

Bhubaneswar: The cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ over southeast Bay of Bengal has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and is likely to hit coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar with maximum speed of 175 kmph.

According to the latest bulletin of India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclonic storm has moved northwards with a speed of 11 kmph during the past 6 hours. It has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and lay centered over the same region near latitude 12.2°N and longitude 88.0°E, about 520 km west of Port Blair, 1100 km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and 1020 km south-southwest of Sittwe in Myanmar at 5.30 om on Thursday.

It is very likely to move nearly northwards during next 12 hours and intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by May 12 morning over central Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve gradually and move north-northeastwards with further intensification.

Cyclone Mocha, pronounced as ‘Mokha’, is likely to cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, close to Sittwe around noon of May 14 as a very severe cyclonic storm with maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph, the IMD stated.