Bangladesh’s St Martin’s island may go underwater as Cyclone Mocha strikes

Dhaka:  As Cyclone Mocha intensifies and winds are getting stronger, Saint Martin’s, the one and only coral island of Bangladesh, may go temporarily underwater, according to the head of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), reported Dhaka Tribune.

“Since there is no major infrastructure on the island, the storm will not get obstructed anywhere and hit the island directly. As the centre of the storm passes over St Martin’s, water will move from one side of the island to the other, and due to the intensity of the storm, the island may be underwater for some time,” BMD Director Md Azizur Rahman said on Sunday. He added, “But the water will not stay still; it may also move away. The situation depends entirely on the speed of the storm.”

Meteorologist Shahinul Islam stated the bulk and centre of the storm would pass over Myanmar and the rest would lash Cox’s Bazar coast, as per Dhaka Tribune.

Islam also said that rainfall had already started across the coast of Bangladesh and most parts of the country might experience wet weather throughout the day.

In its morning bulletin, the BMS said that very severe cyclonic storm Mocha over east-central Bay and adjoining areas had moved northeastwards, intensified over northeast Bay and adjoining areas and was centred at 6 am about 385 km south-southwest of Chittagong port, 305 km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 450km south of Mongla port and 370km south of Payra port.

The peripheral effect of Cyclone Mocha began on Sunday morning over the coastal areas of Chattorgram and Barishal divisions, according to the latest bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Dhaka Tribune reported.

According to BMD, Cyclone Mocha is moving towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar with winds up to 210 km/h.

The very strong cyclonic storm, according to the advisory, was located at midnight about 490 kilometres south-southwest of Chattogram port, 410 kilometres south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 530 kilometres south of Mongla port, and 460 kilometres south of Payra port, according to Dhaka Tribune.

The Indian Meteorological Department on Sunday said that Cyclone Mocha will cross southeastern Bangladesh and north Myanmar today with a sustained wind speed of 180-190 km per hour gusting up to 210 km per hour.

The maritime port of Cox’s Bazar has been instructed to hoist the Great Danger Signal 10, it stated, as per Dhaka Tribune.

Additionally, it has been advised that the maritime ports of Chattogram and Payra hoist Great Danger Signal 8, while the maritime port of Mongla should hoist Local Warning Signal 4.

The bulletin states that Cox’s Bazar’s coastal district, as well as its surrounding islands and chars, will come under Great Danger Signal No. 10.

The coastal districts of Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, and Bhola as well as its outlying islands and will come under chars Great Danger Signal No. 8, Dhaka Tribune reported.