Staff Reporter :
There is no risk of cyclone Asani’s bitting Bangladesh coasts, said State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman.
Addressing a press briefing at his office in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday, the state minister said the depression that turned into a cyclone on the morning was located 1,75 km away from Chittagong maritime port.
He said the cyclone can cross the Satkhira region of Bangladesh after hitting mainly the India’s lands of Visakhapatnam, Orissa and West Bengal.
Enamur Rahman said there will be storms and rains in Bangladesh due to the effect of Asani, but there is no possibility of cyclone or tidal wave in its land.
The CPP volunteers and local administration are keeping close eyes on it and the cyclone warning in the coastal areas is being issued, the State Minister said.
Meanwhile, the met offices said that the deep depression over Southeast Bay and adjoining areas has moved northwestwards and intensified into cyclonic storm Asani over the same area.
At 6am on Sunday, it was centred about 1,255km south-southwest of Chittagong port, 1,175km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 1,250km south of Mongla port and 1,205km south of Payra port.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a northwesterly direction, said a Met office bulletin.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 54km of the cyclonic storm centre is about 62kph rising to 88kph in gusts or squalls.
The maritime ports of Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist Distant Warning Signal No 2 instead of Distant Cautionary Signal No 1.
Distant Warning Signal No 2 means a storm has formed with a wind speed of 62-88 km/hour in the distant deep sea. Ships may fall into danger if they leave harbour.
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution.
Cyclone Asani is set to further intensify by two stages by Monday morning. It is likely to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm and remain over the east-central Bay of Bengal region.
The storm will reach close to India’s Andhra Pradesh-Odisha coast by Tuesday. It is unlikely to make a landfall and it could skirt the coastal districts of these states during the next two days.
There is a possibility that the storm might later move over Satkhira area.
