A tropical cyclonic storm categorized as very severe, brewing over the Bay of Bengal, is likely to strike Bangladesh by Friday evening, hitting Khulna and adjoining southwestern coastal districts, with the possibility of causing severe damages.
Fani, poised to be the strongest cyclone to hit Bangladesh and India in over a decade, is expected to result in a very heavy rainfall and cause significant destruction in parts of Bangladesh between Friday and Saturday, weather forecasters have predicted.
Bangladeshi authorities have taken up all-out efforts to minimize the damages from the cyclone, which will cross over Bangladesh after striking the Indian state of Odisha.
The cyclone, brewing in the Bay of Bengal some 450km offshore and moving westwards, is expected to make landfall near the Hindu holy town of Puri in Odisa.
India has begun evacuating nearly one million people to safer places from at least 13 districts of Odisha to minimize casualties.
As of 6pm on Thursday, the cyclone was about 910km southeast of the Chittagong port, 885km southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 735km southeast of Mongla port and 760km southwest of Payra port, according to a bulletin of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northeastern direction, and cross Odisha coast by this afternoon, and then move in north-northeastern direction over Odisha-West Bengal coastal area, reach Khulna and adjoining southwestern districts of Bangladesh by the evening.
Khulna and other districts in the country’s southwestern coastal region may start to experience the peripheral effect of Fani by the morning, the met office bulletin said.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 74km of the storm centre is about 160km per hour, rising to 180km in gusts, the bulletin further added.
People in the low-lying areas of Bangladeshi coastal areas – particularly in the southwestern region – were asked to go to cyclone shelters, while all passenger launches in the country have been suspended until further notice.
“Cyclone Fani will likely pass over the country between 3pm and 6pm on Friday in Khulna and adjoining coastal areas; the storm’s vanguard will reach the regions in the morning,” said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, meteorologist at the Storm Warning Centre in Bangladesh Meteorological Department. “Low-lying coastal areas are likely to be inundated by four or five feet of storm surges, above the normal astronomical tide, but it may rise further if there is tide at the time it hits Bangladesh.”
Fani is gaining strength over the southeast Bay of Bengal and is likely to intensify further, according to met officials.
However, the maximum wind speed of Fani is unlikely to go beyond 90-100km per hour, with gusts/squalls with heavy to very heavy rainfall during the passing of the storm, which is why the Bangladeshi authorities are still not categorizing it as a super cyclonic storm, Mallik explained.
A youth organization announcing warning messages using a megaphone in order to spread awareness among the locals in Satkhira on May 2, 2019, ahead of the possible landfall of cyclone Fani | Dhaka TribuneIf it gets weakened, it will hit as a cyclone, but if it remains strong, it will be considered a very severe cyclonic storm.
The cyclone’s name, pronounced "Foni," was taken from a list of monikers suggested by Bangladeshi meteorologists, reports India Today.
Control rooms opened for monitoring
Officials at the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief said the government has opened control rooms and taken necessary preparations as the cyclone will storm 19 coastal districts.
Bangladesh has raised the danger signal to Level 7 in Mongla and Payra ports, while Danger Signal 6 has been raised in Chittagong port and Signal 4 in Cox's Bazar.
The authorities have shut down water transport services and evacuated hundreds of thousands of people to safety.
Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Forces are ready for emergency rescue operation and relief activities, said the Inter Services Public Relations Directorate in a statement on Wednesday.
Weekly holiday has been cancelled for relevant officials in the coastal districts. Local authorities are also making announcements in loudspeakers to raise awareness in the coastal districts. Volunteers of the Cyclone Preparation Program have also been alerted.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said the various government departments are ready to minimize losses of lives and properties when Fani strikes.
“All departments, including the coast guard, police, Border Guard Bangladesh, local administrations and the Fire Service and Civil Defence, are on high alert to tackle the aftermath of the cyclone, and ensure security at the cyclone shelters,” he said at a press briefing in Dhaka on Thursday.
