Strong cyclone likely to hit Bangladesh’s coastal regions

DHAKA, Bangladesh

A strong cyclone named Sitrang is likely to hit coastal regions in Bangladesh on Tuesday, weather authorities warned on Sunday.

According to a special weather bulletin published by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department on Sunday morning, the depression over the East-Central Bay and adjoining area moved slightly northwestwards and intensified into a deep depression.

Sea will remain rough near the deep depression center due to rising wind speed, said the bulletin, raising fears among millions of people across the regions who frequently face natural disasters almost every year.

Warning about the peripheral effects of the cyclone, the weather report also advised maritime ports of Bangladesh’s southern Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra to maintain caution.

The low-lying areas of the coastal districts are likely to be inundated by a wind-driven 3-5 feet (1.5 meters) high tide, the weather report added.

All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay of Bengal and deep sea have been advised to take shelter immediately until further notification.

The disaster-prone 19 coastal districts of Bangladesh have been frequently facing cyclones and other natural disasters due to climate change impacts.

“We are now passing through a very critical course amid rising prices of all daily commodities. Our income is now very low. In these circumstances, any big natural disaster is like a death knell for us,” Mohammad Torikul Islam, a fisherman in a remote area of Barguna District, told Anadolu Agency.

Meanwhile, authorities are taking precautionary measures to protect people from the disaster.

“We are taking all possible steps to face the cyclone. Our cyclone centers, along with volunteers, are ready to help and evacuate people to the cyclone shelters,” Patuakhali district’s Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamal Hossain told Anadolu Agency.

He added that dry foods and safe drinking water will also be stored for people in case of an emergency.

The south Asian delta nation of nearly 170 million people is one of the most climate-vulnerable and disaster-prone nations in the world.

In 2020, a severe cyclonic storm named Amphan killed at least 31 people and destroyed large swathes of agricultural land in 19 coastal districts.

According to available media reports, authorities in neighboring India also put its many districts on yellow alert and took measures for a possible evacuation.