The Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast that the tropical cyclone would cross the coasts and move north or northeast during the afternoon.
14.5. 11:01 | Updated to 14.5. 17:05
In Asia, at least 1.5 million children have been put at risk after a powerful tropical cyclone made landfall today off the coast of Bangladesh and Myanmar off the Indian Ocean. Save the Children warns of the plight of children in the large Rohingya refugee camp and surrounding areas.
Super Cyclone Mocha made landfall in Bangladesh and Myanmar today. The storm has already brought down a lot of trees, and apart from that, it is raining in the region as well. The Bangladesh Meteorological Institute forecast that the cyclone would move in a north or northeast direction during the afternoon.
According to the feature, the wind speed reached a maximum of 215 kmph at a distance of about 75 km from the center of the cyclone, and the sustained wind speed has also reached 195 kmph. Before reaching the coast, Mocha strengthened to Category 4 on the five-step scale of tropical cyclones.
In Bangladesh, officials say they have evacuated 190,000 people from the coastal city of Chittagong. In addition, around 100,000 people have been evacuated from the overcrowded Cox’s Bazar refugee camp.
Meteorologists in Bangladesh and India say Mocha is the strongest or at least the strongest tropical cyclone in the region in 15 years.
Azizur Rahman, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said Mocha is the worst storm to hit the region since Cyclone Sidri.
The cyclone hit the southern coast of Bangladesh in November 2007. More than 3,000 people were killed and Sidr caused extensive material damage.
In Finland, weather service company Forka has forecast that Mocha could bring 100–300 mm of rain to the eastern part of Bangladesh and the northwestern part of Myanmar in a few days.
