The cyclone Bulbul has intensified into a ‘very severe’ cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is moving towards the Bangladeshi coast with a wind speed of up to 115 kilometres per hour.The coastal areas will begin feeling the impacts of the cyclone on Saturday afternoon, said meteorologist Abdur Rahman.
And the cyclone could cross the Bangladeshi coastline in the Khulna region at midnight tomorrow, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
The Met Office has advised the maritime ports in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, Payra and the Sundarbans to hoist local warning signal No. 4.
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay have been advised to take shelter immediately and remain in shelter till further notice.
Most parts of the country experienced overcast skies with some light rainfall from Friday morning.
The cyclonic storm was situated around 600 to 700 kilometres off the maritime ports at 12pm on Friday.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 64 km of the cyclone’s centre was about 100 km per hour, rising to 120 km per hour in gusts and squalls, according to the Met Office.
The cyclone is likely to intensify further and move northwards till early morning of Nov 9, the Indian Meteorological Office said.
It is very likely to re-curve northeast wards and cross West Bengal – Bangladesh coasts between Sagar Islands (West Bengal) and Khepupara (Bangladesh), across the Sunderbans delta during the early hours of Sunday, according to the Indian Met Office.
Bulbul will cross the coasts as a severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 to 120 km an hour to 135 km an hour.
Brewed as tropical cyclone “Matmo”, it made landfall on Vietnam by the end of October before weakening to a low. It gathered strength again and changed direction later to become cyclone “Bulbul” on Wednesday night, reports internet.
