Dhaka, May 17 – Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local warning signal number 4 as cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ approaches.‘Amphan’ moved northwestwards over the southeast Bay and adjoining southwest bay, Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in a special weather bulletin issued on Sunday morning.
At 6 am, it was centred about 1,345 kilometres south-southwest of Chattogram Port, 1,280km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar Port, 1,275km south-southwest of Mongla Port and 1,255km south-southwest of Payra Port.
“It is likely to intensify further and move in a northwest direction,” the Met Office said.
The maximum wind speed within 54km of the cyclone centre was about 62km per hour, rising to 88kph.
Sea will remain very rough near the cyclone centre, the bulletin said.
Fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.
“They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea,” the Met Office said. – UNB
India forecasts severe to very severe cyclone: The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood has rapidly intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Amphan’ (pronounced as Um-pun), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest bulletin on Saturday. “It lay centred over the same region at 1730 hrs IST of today (May 16) near latitude 10.9°N and longitude 86.3°E, about 1040 km south of Paradip (Odisha), 1200 km south-southwest of Digha (West Bengal) and 1300 km south-southwest of Khepupara (Bangladesh),” the IMD said in its bulletin issued at 8.30 pm.
The cyclone is very likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm during next 12 hours and into a very severe cyclonic storm by 18th morning. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards initially till 17th May and then re-curve north-northeastwards across northwest Bay of Bengal towards West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coasts from May 18 to 20. Fishermen are advised not to venture into south Bay of Bengal from May 16 to 17 to central Bay of Bengal from 17th to 18th and north Bay of Bengal during 19th to 20th. Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy falls at isolated places is very likely over Andaman and Nicobar Islands during next 12 hours.
According to a PTI report, the Odisha government has urged the Centre to temporarily suspend the running of ‘Shramik Special’ trains to the state’s coastal districts in view of the impending cyclonic storm. As many as 12 coastal districts – Gajapati, Ganjam, Puri, Khurda, Jajpur, Nayagarh, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Mayurbhanj and Cuttack have put on alert.
