Weather

Bangladesh plans to evacuate thousands as Cyclone Hamoon approaches

Dhaka, Oct 24 (EFE).- Bangladeshi authorities on Tuesday were planning to evacuate thousands of people from coastal areas amid the imminent arrival of powerful tropical cyclone Hamoon.

The storm, carrying gusts of up to 110 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour), was situated around 310 kilometers (193 miles) southwest of the port of Payra at 9 am on Tuesday.

Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid told EFE that the cyclone was expected to make landfall in Bangladesh between morning and noon on Wednesday in Bhola district near the Barishal and Chittagong coastal regions.

“It will cross the Bangladesh coast as a normal cyclone near the estuary of the river Meghna in Bhola with wind speeds between 90 kph and 110 kph,” Rashid said.

“The chance is less for it to turn into a super cyclone, but it will cause heavy rainfall,” he added.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department, in a special weather bulletin issued at 9 am on Tuesday, asked the maritime ports of Chattogram and Payra to hoist danger signal no 7, and Cox’s Bazar port to hoist danger signal no 6.

The local administration said since the danger signal had been raised, they would not take any chances.

“We have between 50,000 and 60,000 people who live on remote islands. We are planning to evacuate them all into cyclone shelters. We are also keeping our volunteers ready to face any kind of situation,” Arifuzzaman, deputy commissioner of Bhola district, told EFE.

This is the second cyclone formed in the Bay of Bengal that will hit Bangladesh this year after Mocha in May.

The country’s geographical location makes it especially vulnerable to cyclones, which occur mostly between April and May and between October and November.

The last major cyclone to hit the country was Amphan, which killed nearly 100 people in Bangladesh and neighboring India in May 2020. EFE

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