Cyclone Sitrang hits Bangladesh coast

Staff Reporter :
The forefront of super cyclone ‘Sitrang’ hit the coastal districts of Bangladesh on Monday evening, with stormy wind and incessant rainfall.
The meteorological department confirmed the matter saying the centre of the powerful cyclone will cross Barishal and Chattogram at the dead of the night.
Mongla and Payra sea ports, Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar have already been asked to hoist danger signal number 7.
Meteorologist Md Monowar Hossain said that the forefront of the cyclone hit the coast Monday evening. The centre of the cyclone will ravage Chattogram and Barishal coasts via Kepupara in Patuakhali on Monday midnight.
He said the force of cyclone Sitrang, named by Thailand, will decrease steadily early on Tuesday.
Due to its influence, rainfall will occur in the coastal and other regions, the official added.
Meanwhile, a woman in Norail has been killed after she fell under a tree branch that broke in the gusty winds of cyclone Sitrang.
In Bhola, an 80-year-old woman died after a tree that got uprooted in a storm fell on her in Doulatkhan upazila in the district on Monday.
 The deceased was identified as Bibi Khadiza, wife of Khadem Ali of Bhola’s municipality area no. 5.
Khadiza died on the spot around 7pm during the storm caused by the approaching Cyclone Sitrang, said Zakir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Doulatkhan Police Station.
Low-lying areas of at least 15 coastal districts may be inundated by high tide of 5-8 feet above normal tides due to the cyclone Sitrang and the impact of new moon, according to the Bangladesh Meteorology Department (BMD).
Meanwhile, the authorities evacuated hundreds of thousands of people from vulnerable localities in the coastal belts on Monday ahead of cyclone Sitrang.
Officials in the coastal districts of Patuakhali, Bhola, Barguna and Jhalakathi said that up to 400,000 people have been evacuated from vulnerable coastal villages and islands into shelters.
Earlier, the government prepared 7,030 cyclone centres, setting a target of evacuating 25 lakh people from the coastal area.
People in coastal districts rushed to cyclone centres since Monday morning as cyclone Sitrang had been approaching to hit the areas. Upazila administrations and Red Crescent volunteers are helping people to reach shelter centres in disaster prone areas.
Besides, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagherhat, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Borguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar and their offshore islands and chars have started flooding from Monday morning amid high tide caused by the cyclone Sitrang.
The diameter of the cyclone is about 500 km, hence the impact of heavy rain, gusty winds of 110-130 kmh, and high tides will be equally felt over the affected districts.
The whole of this storm will pass through the Bangladesh coast, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman told journalists after an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Secretariat on Monday.
The state minister said that Patharghata of Barguna and Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali will be the most affected due to cyclone Sitrang.
“The cyclone might hit 13 districts of the country and two districts might be lightly hit. Therefore, 100 percent of the people in all the dangerous areas of the coast will be evacuated to safe places by evening,” Enamur Rahman said.
The cyclonic storm Sitrang over the east-central Bay and adjoining west-central Bay moved north-northeastwards over the east-central Bay and 335 kms south-southwest of Payra port.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kms of the cyclone centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph. Sea will remain very rough near the cyclone centre.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the north Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.