ALBAWABA - Cyclone Mocha is slated to head toward the coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday, this prompted authorities to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people to safer areas.
Category 5 Cyclone Mocha hits Myanmar, Bangladesh https://t.co/sfII3OAGs1 pic.twitter.com/d7BsqZ2KV7
— CNA (@ChannelNewsAsia) May 14, 2023
The outer wave of Storm Mocha reached the coast of Myanmar's Rakhine State on Sunday morning, and by the afternoon, the storm's center is expected to make landfall near the town of Sittwe.
Cyclone #Mocha just hit Bangladesh, Myanmar, intensifying into equivalent of Category 5 hurricane - threatens to wash away coastal villages, create millions of homeless refugees
Fact: Earth's warmer and moister atmosphere and warmer oceans mean cyclones will be more intense pic.twitter.com/KU8wxdreiE— Assaad Razzouk (@AssaadRazzouk) May 14, 2023
"Saving lives is our main priority," said Bangladesh disaster relief official Mizanur Rahman who confirmed that "some 300,000 people were evacuated before the storm hit as expected."
Nearly 500k to be evacuated as Bangladesh, Myanmar brace for cyclonehttps://t.co/f4icHgHcJL pic.twitter.com/nd1WKk0tLl
— 1News (@1NewsNZ) May 12, 2023
The cyclone, with winds of up to 210 km/h, is expected to cause sea levels to rise by 4 meters.
The United Nations Satellite Center warned that many could suffer as the storm moves inland from the Bay of Bengal.
Specialized authorities have also warned of the dangers to which more than a million Rohingya refugees, who live near the path of the cyclone in camps, may be exposed to.
