Cyclone Mocha Makes Landfall; Likely To Weaken Into Very Severe Storm In 3 Hours

Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Mocha over Northeast Bay of Bengal moved north-northeastwards with a speed of 25 kmph during past 3 hours, crossed north Myanmar-southeast Bangladesh coasts between Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) and Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) close to north of Sittwe (Myanmar) as an Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm with wind speed of 180-190 kmph gusting to 210 kmph between 12.30 pm and 2.30 pm on Sunday.

It lay centered at 2.30 hours over coastal Myanmar, about 40 km north of Sittwe (Myanmar) and 145 km southeast of Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh). The system is continuing the weakening trend and will weaken into a very severe cyclonic storm during the next 3 hours, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Mocha started hitting the coastlines of Bangladesh and Myanmar around noon after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm. The system, which has been packing winds of up to 220 kilometres per hour, is expected to weaken rapidly due to “intrusion of dry air, increased wind shear and rugged terrain”.

Also Read: Cyclone Mocha: Eye Of Storm Crossing Coast; St Martin’s Island In Bangladesh To Briefly Go Underwater

Senior meteorologist Jason Nicholls has expressed concern over flooding rain in northwest Myanmar, east Bangladesh and northeast India amid weakening of the system.

It is the third-most intense cyclone to hit the Bay of Bengal in the month of May since 1982. Mocha is tied with an unnamed cyclone that hit the Bay of Bengal near Bangladesh in May 1997 at a windspeed of 212 kph. On top of the list is Cyclone Amphan which hit the Bay of Bengal in May 2020 at a windspeed of 265 kph while a cyclone that hit the coast at a windspeed of 231 kph near Andhra Pradesh in May 1990 occupies the second spot.

It is also the most powerful storm to hit Bangladesh since Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, during which more than 3,000 people were killed and billions of dollars damaged.

Also Read: Cyclone Mocha: Landfall Process For Third-Most Intense May Storm Begins