Cyclone Mocha headed for landfall in war-ravaged country

This Morphed Integrated Microwave Imagery satellite view from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) shows the development of tropical cyclone Mocha from May 10 to 11, 2023. The pink swirl forming over the Bay of Bengal is the tropical depression becoming a cyclone. (Note also the storm below it spinning in the opposite direction south of the equator. This is an example of the Coriolis effect.) Image via University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mocha to hit Myanmar and Bangladesh

Meteorologists expect tropical cyclone Mocha to make landfall around noon on Sunday, May 14, 2023, in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma), near the border with Bangladesh. The India Meteorological Department said on Friday that the storm could pack winds as strong as 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) with higher gusts. And this low-lying region has a high population, including many refugees. Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2017, when the government began killing and brutalizing the local Rohingya population, forcing them to flee to Bangladesh where many still live in refugee camps.

The tropical cyclone, also called a typhoon, will bring heavy rains to the area. This region – Bangladesh in particular – lies very close to sea level. So, the low-lying nature of the landscape will exacerbate the flooding issue. The average elevation of Bangladesh is 9 meters (30 feet) above sea level, and the country has a population of about 170 million people. Myanmar’s population is about 54 million. It has mountainous regions, but heavy rainfall could result in landslides.

As the Weather Channel explained:

The Bay of Bengal hosts only 4% of the total tropical cyclones globally, but more than 80% of the fatalities to cyclones are from this region.

This terrain map of Bangladesh and Myanmar shows the low-lying areas that Cyclone Mocha will hit on May 14, 2023. Image via Google Maps.

Cyclone Mocha on Twitter

“Mocha” 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 maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160kmph gusting to 175 kmph. pic.twitter.com/ENo3heeKLS

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 12, 2023

There is no place more vulnerable to a tropical cyclone than the Bay of Bengal, and the very low-lying, exposed, Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. 1 million Rohingya refugees live here in camps after being persecuted (and much worse) in Myanmar. Now they face a potential category 4!!! pic.twitter.com/Qhw5hCzlJk

— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) May 12, 2023

#Bangladeshi ?? fishermen in Teknaf have seen the sea getting angrier.

Two days before #CycloneMocha makes landfall, they have begun portaging their boats to safer ground. We counted over 70 moon-boats this morning.

This is placing an immense strain on their livelihoods. pic.twitter.com/HqwqFBdWni

— ????? (@_arjunjain) May 12, 2023

Bottom line: Tropical cyclone Mocha will hit Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday, May 14, 2023. Unfortunately, this low-lying region is particularly vulnerable, and the area has a high population that includes many Rohingya refugees.

Read more: Tropical Cyclone Freddy sets world record for longevity

Read more: Twin cyclones mirror each other in Indian Ocean

The post Cyclone Mocha headed for landfall in war-ravaged country first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/921KP0k

This Morphed Integrated Microwave Imagery satellite view from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) shows the development of tropical cyclone Mocha from May 10 to 11, 2023. The pink swirl forming over the Bay of Bengal is the tropical depression becoming a cyclone. (Note also the storm below it spinning in the opposite direction south of the equator. This is an example of the Coriolis effect.) Image via University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Mocha to hit Myanmar and Bangladesh

Meteorologists expect tropical cyclone Mocha to make landfall around noon on Sunday, May 14, 2023, in northern Myanmar (formerly Burma), near the border with Bangladesh. The India Meteorological Department said on Friday that the storm could pack winds as strong as 160 kilometers per hour (100 mph) with higher gusts. And this low-lying region has a high population, including many refugees. Myanmar has been in turmoil since 2017, when the government began killing and brutalizing the local Rohingya population, forcing them to flee to Bangladesh where many still live in refugee camps.

The tropical cyclone, also called a typhoon, will bring heavy rains to the area. This region – Bangladesh in particular – lies very close to sea level. So, the low-lying nature of the landscape will exacerbate the flooding issue. The average elevation of Bangladesh is 9 meters (30 feet) above sea level, and the country has a population of about 170 million people. Myanmar’s population is about 54 million. It has mountainous regions, but heavy rainfall could result in landslides.

As the Weather Channel explained:

The Bay of Bengal hosts only 4% of the total tropical cyclones globally, but more than 80% of the fatalities to cyclones are from this region.

This terrain map of Bangladesh and Myanmar shows the low-lying areas that Cyclone Mocha will hit on May 14, 2023. Image via Google Maps.

Cyclone Mocha on Twitter

“Mocha” 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 maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160kmph gusting to 175 kmph. pic.twitter.com/ENo3heeKLS

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 12, 2023

There is no place more vulnerable to a tropical cyclone than the Bay of Bengal, and the very low-lying, exposed, Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh. 1 million Rohingya refugees live here in camps after being persecuted (and much worse) in Myanmar. Now they face a potential category 4!!! pic.twitter.com/Qhw5hCzlJk

— Jeff Berardelli (@WeatherProf) May 12, 2023

#Bangladeshi ?? fishermen in Teknaf have seen the sea getting angrier.

Two days before #CycloneMocha makes landfall, they have begun portaging their boats to safer ground. We counted over 70 moon-boats this morning.

This is placing an immense strain on their livelihoods. pic.twitter.com/HqwqFBdWni

— ????? (@_arjunjain) May 12, 2023

Bottom line: Tropical cyclone Mocha will hit Bangladesh and Myanmar on Sunday, May 14, 2023. Unfortunately, this low-lying region is particularly vulnerable, and the area has a high population that includes many Rohingya refugees.

Read more: Tropical Cyclone Freddy sets world record for longevity

Read more: Twin cyclones mirror each other in Indian Ocean

The post Cyclone Mocha headed for landfall in war-ravaged country first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/921KP0k