Severe cyclone Mocha intensifies, rain expected in northeast over weekend
Severe cyclone Mocha over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified on Friday morning, clocking wind speed of around 140-150 km per hour gusting to 165 km per hour.
It was expected to cross an area between Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) around Saturday noon as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160 km per hour gusting to 175 km per hour, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
IMD director general M Mohapatra said dry and continental winds were blowing over the entire east India in the direction of Cyclone Mocha. “We are expecting rains in northeastern states on May 13 and 14 and strong winds,” said Mohapatra.
IMD has warned of minor damage to loose/unsecured structures, uprooting of small trees and breaking of tree branches, the possibility of landslides in vulnerable areas, and damage to small trees such as bananas in Mizoram, Tripura, and South Manipur.
It has asked farmers to immediately harvest mature fruits and crops, provide staking and cover to vegetable nurseries, and orchards, avoid the application of fertilizers and pesticides, and keep livestock inside sheds.
Shipping and offshore industries are likely to be impacted due to the very rough to phenomenal sea ( 9-14 m wave height). IMD has recommended regulation of tourism and offshore activities and shipping near Andaman and Nicobar Islands until Saturday. It has advised regulation of shipping activity in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea until Sunday.
Mocha is unlikely to impact the monsoon, which normally reaches Kerala around June 1. “Mocha is a transient system and there is still a fortnight left for the normal onset date for monsoon. We do not think the very severe cyclone will impact monsoon onset,” said Mohapatra.
Mocha was about 520 km west-northwest of Port Blair on Friday morning. An IMD official said the tropical heat potential, which provides energy to the cyclone, is high near the Myanmar coast. “Bay of Bengal is considerably warm with sea surface temperatures of over 30°C over most parts of the ocean.”
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (Pune) climate scientist Roxy Mathew Koll said sea surface temperatures near Myanmar were as high as the rest of the Bay around 30-32°C or 1-2°C above normal. “The subsurface conditions are also warm, but not as warm as central Bay.”
Mocha is pulling winds and moisture and parts of east and northeast India are expected to record severe heat. On Wednesday, maximum temperatures were markedly above normal (5.1°C or more) in parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and Gangetic West Bengal.
IMD issued a heat wave warning for pockets in Gujarat, Madhya Maharashtra, Bihar, and West Bengal on May 11, Konkan from May 10 to 12, Rajasthan on May 12 and 13, and Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam from May 13 to 15. Due to humid air and high temperature, uncomfortable weather is likely in Konkan, Odisha, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.