Cyclone Mocha: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said that Cyclone Mocha has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the central adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed eight teams and 200 rescuers in West Bengal’s Digha after the IMD issued alert.
“The SCS “Mocha” intensified into a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm, lay centered at 0530 hours IST of 12th May 2023 over Central adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal near lat 13.2N & long 88.1E, about 520 km west-northwest of Port Blair,” the IMD said in a tweet.
The cyclone is further likely to continue to move north-northeastwards with further intensification. It is likely to cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox 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, said IMD.
“The SCS “Mocha” lay centered at 0230 hours IST of 12th May 2023 over Southeast adjoining Central Bay of Bengal about 520 km west-northwest of Port Blair,” the IMD said in a tweet in the wee hours of Friday.
“Cyclone Mocha will convert into a severe storm on May 12 and a very severe cyclone on May 14, as per the predictions,” said Gurminder Singh, Commandant, 2nd Battalion, NDRF. “We have deployed 8 teams. 200 rescuers of NDRF deployed on the ground and 100 rescuers on standby,” said Singh.
Sanjeev Dwivedi, IMD senior scientist, Bhubaneswar also predicted that the cyclonic storm is lightly to recurve and on the 12th of May evening it will intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal. “The Cyclonic storm is likely to recurve and on the 12th of May evening, it will intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm over the central Bay of Bengal. On 13th May it will take peak intensity. The system is under continuous surveillance,” said Dwivedi.
The weather office said Cyclone Mocha (pronounced Mokha) will further intensify on Friday and re-curve north-northeastwards for a Sunday landfall between Cox’s Bazaar and Kyaukpyu, close to port city Sittwe in Myanmar, packing winds of 175 kmph.
Due to the weather conditions, the northeastern states of Tripura and Mizoram are likely to get heavy rainfall from Saturday. On the other hand, Nagaland, Manipur and south Assam are expected to get rainfall on Sunday.
The IMD has asked fishermen, ships, boats and trawlers not to venture into central and northeast Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea till Sunday. Those sailing in central Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea are advised to return to coast.
The IMD predicted a storm surge of 1.5-2 metres for the low-lying coastal region of Bangladesh near Cox’s Bazaar.
On Monday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that people do not need to fear the cyclone as the state government is equipped to handle the situation. “No need to fear the cyclone. If there come different circumstances, we will rescue people from coastal areas as the cyclone will move to Bangladesh and Myanmar,” CM Banerjee had said.
The cyclone has been named Mocha (Mokha), a name suggested by Yemen after the Red Sea port city, which is known to have introduced coffee to the world over 500 years ago. The weather office has suggested regulation of tourism and offshore activities and shipping near Andaman and Nicobar Islands and over the sea areas of southeast and central Bay of Bengal till Friday (May 12).
