Bhubaneswar: The cyclonic storm “Mocha” pronounced as “Mokha” over the southeast Bay of Bengal moved northwards with a speed of 11 kmph during the past 06 hours, intensified into a Severe Cyclonic Storm and lay centered at 1730 hours IST of today, the 11th May 2023 over the same region near latitude 12.2°N and longitude 88.0°E, about 520 km west of Port Blair, 1100 km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazaar (Bangladesh) and 1020 km south-southwest of Sittwe (Myanmar), said a press release from the IMD.
It is very likely to move nearly northwards during the next 12 hours and intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm by the 12th May morning over the central Bay of Bengal. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve gradually and move north-northeastwards with further intensification.
It is likely to cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar), close to Sittwe (Myanmar) around noon of 14th May 2023 as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustained wind speed of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph.