Cyclone Mocha: Great Danger Signal 8 issued

Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and Payra and 12 coastal districts were advised to hoist Great Danger Signal 8 as Cyclone Mocha makes its way to the southeastern coast of Bangladesh.

When Great Danger Signal 8 is hoisted to an area, it will experience severe weather from a storm of great intensity (wind speed of 89kmph or above).

Mongla port has been advised to keep Warning Signal 4.

All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay of Bengal have been advised to take shelter immediately, according to a Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) bulletin posted tonight.

Cyclone Mocha is expected to make landfall on Sunday with wind speeds of up to 160 kilometres (100 miles) per hour and gusts up to 175 kph (110 mph) between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, India's Meteorological Department said.

The coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, and their offshore islands and chars will come under Great Danger Signal No 8.

Under the peripheral effect of the cyclone and steep pressure gradient, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar and Chattogram and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surge height of 8-12 feet above normal astronomical tide, said the bulletin.

The low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Barishal, Bhola, Patuakhali, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surge height of 5-7 feet above normal astronomical tide, it added.