Hudhud, a tidal surge with estimated centre pressure of 984hPa, is likely to hit different parts of India today and cause heavy rainfall in coastal areas in Bangladesh, Bangladesh Meteorological Department said yesterday.
It was centred about 870kms southwest of Chittagong port at 6.00pm yesterday while it was about 960 kms at 6:00am, and over the West Central Bay and adjoining East Central Bay slightly north-westwards over the same area, Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mollik told the Dhaka Tribune.
Hudhud will cause light rainfall to heavy rainfall in different places in Bangladesh while the maritime ports in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist local cautionary signal No 3, he added.
Saying Bangladesh will not be relatively unscathed, he also said: “Under the influence of the very severe cyclonic storm, low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by wind-driven surge of 1-3 feet height above normal astronomical tide.”
However, a Met office special bulletin yesterday said it is likely to intensify further and move in a west-northwesterly direction.
According to the bulletin, maximum sustained wind speed within 74kms of the storm centre is about 120kph rising to 140kph in gusts/squalls. Sea will remain very high near the storm centre.
Meteorologist Kalam said under the peripheral influence of the cyclonic storm, deep convection was taking place over the North Bay, while gusty wind may affect the North Bay, coastal areas and the maritime ports of Bangladesh.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to take shelter immediately and remain in shelter till further notice.
The Met office yesterday also said: “The present rainfall is 1mm in Teknaf than the normal astronomical tide while 9mm in Kutubdia, 1mm in Chittagong, 19mm in Maizdi Court, 59mm in Hatia, 23mm in Commilla, 1mm in Dhaka, 2mm in Bhola, 2mm in Patuakhali and 11mm in Mongla.”
According to India’s Met office, till October 12, the tidal surge may cross Andhra coastal areas through Bishakhapattam and Gopalpur’s areas.
Last year, three different cyclone namely as Pailin, Helen and Lohor hit Andhra coastal areas during October and November.
Earlier in October in 1999, a super cyclone hit Urissha that killed about 15000 people.
Meanwhile, as part of precautionary measures to face cyclone Hudhud in Barisal, river port authorities restricted movement of small water transports since yesterday noon.
Port authorities restricted movement of ML-type launches and other small water transports up to 65 feet in length on 22 routes of the region.
The step was taken after the weather department asked port authorities to hoist cautionary signal no 2 yesterday morning, said Abul Bashar Mazumdar, deputy director, river safety and traffic management of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s (BIWTA) Barisal office.
Abdur Rashid, deputy director of Cyclone Preparedness Programme (CPP) at the Barisal unit of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said 49,365 volunteers under 3,291 units in 37 coastal upazilas of 13 districts were asked to be on full alert.
He said coastal people would be asked to move to cyclone shelters once the weather department would raise the warning signal to 4.
The CPP is maintaining regular contacts with their units in different shores, coastal islands and shoals. The units yesterday said conditions of river estuaries and the sea were very rough with stormy weather, high waves, strong tides and gusty winds since morning.
Coastal areas hoisted signal no 3 at Paira Marine port and surrounding areas of Kalapara coast.
There are stormy weather with light to moderate rain, roughness on waterways and high tidal bore, said Prodip Kumar, officer of Kalapara weather radar station, yesterday.
The low-lying areas of the coastal and offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of two to four feet because of the influence of the cyclone, Prodip said.
He also advised people to dial 10941 followed by specific extension numbers to receive regular updates on the weather situation.
Mezbahuddin Mannnu, an environment activist in Kalapara, said locals were worried as more than 250 fishing trawlers carrying over 2,500 fishermen were in deep sea.