Cyclone Mocha: Coastal areas in West Bengal on alert
What's the story
With Cyclone Mocha making its much-anticipated landfall along the coasts of Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday, West Bengal has also been on alert, where Disaster Management Force personnel have been deployed in several parts. The news agency PTI reported that the coastal areas of Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts were placed on high alert as a precautionary measure.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The cyclonic storm made its landfall along the coastlines of Myanmar and Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon after it intensified into the equivalent of a category-five storm. Earlier, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that heavy rainfall along with gales was being witnessed over the northern coasts of the two countries as the forward sector of the cyclone's eye wall entered the coastal parts.
Details
NDRF teams on standby in Bengal
The coastal areas of Digha and Mandarmani in West Bengal's Purba Medinipur stayed on alert as teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), including divers, were on standby. Furthermore, people have been asked not to go near the sea. More than 100 state disaster management group personnel have also been deployed at Bakkhali beach (South 24 Parganas) to keep an eye on people.
More details
Very severe cyclonic storm Mocha weakening: IMD
Late on Sunday, the IMD took to Twitter and stated that the "very severe" cyclonic storm had weakened into a "severe" cyclonic storm over Myanmar. "Very Severe Cyclonic Storm 'Mocha' weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over Myanmar. The system is continuing the weakening trend and will become a cyclonic storm during the next few hours," the IMD said.
Twitter Post
Twitter post by IMD
Very Severe Cyclonic Storm “Mocha” weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over Myanmar.
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 14, 2023
The system is continuing the weakening trend and will become a cyclonic storm during next few hours. pic.twitter.com/HfUlLGPzzw
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Myanmar's Sittwe faces Cyclone Mocha's wrath
The port city of Sittwe in Myanmar, on the other hand, was flooded on Sunday due to the storm surges brought by Cyclone Mocha, as per the news outlet The Daily Star. Parts of Sittwe, which is also the capital of the country's Rakhine state, got inundated, even as powerful winds of up to 209km/h ripped away rooftops and cut down communications towers.
Further information
Cyclone Mocha causes deaths in Myanmar
Cyclone Mocha damaged houses, boats, electrical transformers, mobile phone towers, and lampposts in the townships of Kyaukpyu, Gwa, and Sittwe, as per Myanmar's military information office. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported that rescue workers in Myanmar revealed two individuals died in a landslide, with other reports claiming a man was killed when a tree fell on him.
Twitter Post
Visuals from Myanmar as Mocha made landfall
If you don’t like climate protesters’ tactics, wait till you learn about nature’s tactics.#CycloneMocha pic.twitter.com/OHgGOTHSoL
— Jack Lowe (@MrJackLowe) May 14, 2023