Cyclone ‘Mocha’ likely to intensify today, head towards Bangladesh-Myanmar coast

The Indian Meteorological Department has said that the severe cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ is set to intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm on Friday and head to the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast.

The Severe Cyclonic Storm “Mocha” (pronounced as “Mokha”) over the Southeast adjoining Central Bay of Bengal moved northwards with a speed of 09 kmph during the past 06 hours, intensified into a very severe Cyclonic Storm and lay centred at 0530 hours IST of today, the 12th May 2023 over Central adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal near latitude 13.2°N and longitude 88.1°E, about 520 km west-northwest of Port Blair, 1010 km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and 930 km south-southwest of Sittwe (Myanmar).

Also Read: Cyclone Mocha: Northeast likely to witness heavy rainfall over the weekend

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and intensify further over the East-central Bay of Bengal. 

It is likely to cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar), close to Sittwe (Myanmar) around noon of 14th May 2023 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph.