Cyclone Mocha makes landfall along Bangladesh, Myanmar coasts

Super cyclone Mocha made landfall along the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts on Sunday after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm, a senior Met official said.

The powerful made landfall shortly after midday on the Teknaf shorelines before making its way through the Naf River that divides Bangladesh and Myanmar.

“The ‘eye' or the centre point of the cyclone made its landfall shortly after midday today on the Teknaf shorelines, coming through the Naf River, ahead of its anticipated time,” Bangladesh Met office spokesman AKM Nazmul Huda told PTI.

He said the tail or the rest of the severe storm, categorised as a very dangerous category-five cyclone, might take more time to cross the coastlines. Administrative chief of Teknaf sub-district of Bangladesh's southeastern Cox's Bazar Mohammad Quamruzzaman said the wind was blowing at a speed of over 200 km/per hour in Taknaf and its southernmost part Shahpori Dip along the Bay of Bengal.

Teknaf is close to Myanmar and separated from northern Myanmar coasts by the Naf River. “The weather is frightening because of the very high velocity of wind but we are yet to see the much-feared massive tidal surges,” Quamruzzaman said.

The weather officials said the Naf River was currently witnessing high tides that began at 11 am and would continue until 5 PM (local time). The officials and residents in Cox's Bazar said cyclone Mocha was bringing with it heavy rain and winds of up to 195kph and feared it may lead to dangerous flooding in areas around the Bay of Bengal.

Storm surges of up to four metres could swamp villages in low-lying areas. There are fears it may hit the world's largest refugee camp, Cox's Bazar, where over one million displaced Muslim Rohingya refugees live in makeshift camps.