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What is Mocha cyclone, reason for mass migration in sub-continent?

According to the WMO, the cyclone named 'Mocha' will hit the Rakhine state of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh on May 14.

By Shishir Agrawal
New Update
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India's neighboring countries are going to face natural calamity once again. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the cyclone named 'Mocha' will hit the Rakhine state of Myanmar bordering Bangladesh on May 14. Due to this, parts of Myanmar and Bangladesh are expected to be badly affected. Cyclone Mocha is a very severe cyclonic storm that formed in the Bay of Bengal on May 10, 2023. The Indian Meteorological Department claims that this storm will become a very severe cyclonic storm by May 14, which will affect public life on a large scale. According to an estimate, during this time the wind speed can be up to 175 kilometers per hour.

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cyclone mocha map
Source: IMD

Preparations started in India, Myanmar, and Bangladesh

Teams from all three countries have been deployed for rescue. 576 shelters have been built for the affected people in Bangladesh. It is believed that due to this storm, about 5 lakh people will have to leave their homes here. Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar area is going to be the most affected by this storm. Rohingya refugees from Myanmar live in Cox's Bazar. This will be a double whammy for the Rohingya Muslims who are already suffering the pain of displacement.

Myanmar's Rakhine state will come under the grip of this storm. It is noteworthy that about 2 lakh 30 thousand refugees are currently living in this area. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has issued a statement saying that the displaced people will be badly affected by this storm, which is a matter of concern. Apart from the army, a team of UNOCHA has been sent to Sittwe City of Myanmar for rescue work in Myanmar. Apart from this, the United League of Arakan, a political party affiliated with the Arakan Army, a rebel group of Myanmar, has also extended its helping hand.

India's preparation

According to a bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department, there is a possibility of rain with strong winds in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India from Mocha. On the other hand, there is a possibility of rain in Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, and South Assam. To avoid any major damage due to the storm, 8 teams of NDRF and 200 rescue personnel have been deployed in Digha, West Bengal.

Mocha is a Category 1 storm in the Atlantic

According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, Mocha will be a Category 1 Atlantic hurricane. According to the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, hurricanes with winds of 64 knots (74 mph; 119 km/h; 33 m/s) to 82 knots (95 mph; 153 km/h; 42m/s) are placed in this category.

The storm is named after the city named ‘Mokha’ located in the Red Sea on the suggestion of Yemen. The city is known for the production of coffee. The famous type of coffee 'Mocha' is named after this.

Storms getting stronger in the Bay of Bengal Some very powerful storms have formed in the Bay of Bengal in the last few years. Cyclone Amphan in the year 2020 is a recent example of this. According to Roxy Mathew Cole, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology,

“The temperature in the Bay of Bengal has been observed in the range of 30 to 32 degrees. This high temperature is the main reason behind the strengthening of storms. Due to this, the storm is transferred from the place of high temperature to the place of low temperature.”

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