Cyclone Mocha makes landfall along Bangladesh, Myanmar coasts

Super cyclone Mocha made landfall along the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts on Sunday after intensifying into the equivalent of a category-five storm, causing extensive damage to the southeastern coastlines and forcing the evacuation of over five lakh people in low lying areas.

The Cyclone Mocha, one of the most powerful cyclones seen in the country in nearly two decades - made landfall shortly after midday on the Teknaf shorelines before making its way through the Naf River that divides Bangladesh and Myanmar.

The powerful wind uprooted trees and damaged roofs of several houses in Teknaf and Saint Martin's Island, which is situated about 9-km south of the tip of Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. There was heavy rain along with strong winds in St. Martin's, an eight-square-kilometre coral-rich island located in the Bay of Bengal.

"The 'eye' or the center point of the cyclone made its landfall shortly after midday today on the Teknaf shorelines, coming through the Naf River, ahead of its anticipated time,” Bangladesh Met office spokesman AKM Nazmul Huda told PTI.