Cyclone Bijli changes movement towards Bangladesh coastal areas

www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-17 20:42:30 Print

YANGON, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Cyclone Bijli has changed its direction to move towards Bangladesh's coastal area, the State Radio and Television reported Friday evening.

According to an updated weather forecast by the Myanmar Meteorology and Hydrology Department (MHD), Cyclone Bijli, which centered at the northwest of the Bay of Bengal, has moved fast in a direction towards northeast, reaching the northeast of the Bay of Bengal where it recentered at a point 180 miles (288 kilometers)south of India's Kolkata.

The cyclone Bijli is estimated to land and sweep between the coastal areas of Cox Bazaar and Chittagong of Bangladesh early Saturday morning and move towards the coastal areas of Bangladesh which link Myanmar's.

The force of cyclone is now at the orange level and the tidal surf along the coastal areas in the northern part of Myanmar's Rakhine state will be at a height between 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) which will be experienced around the areas of Kyaukphyu and Thandwe in the state, the report said.

During the storm, the surface wind speed will be at 60 miles (96 kilometers) per hour and sometimes at 75 miles (120 kilometers)per hour, the report added.

MHD forecast earlier that cyclone Bijli could land at areas between Bangladesh and the northern region of Myanmar's Rakhine state in the west starting Saturday morning and will move towards the coastal areas of Myanmar.

Impacted by the storm, there will be heavy rainfall in other areas of Myanmar such as Chin, Sagaing, Magway and Mandalay states and divisions, according to the forecast report.

Editor: Wang Guanqun