Jaiden Coonan
Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology (DMH) has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for a depression developing over the Bay of Bengal. Hla Tun, Deputy Director of Meterology at the DMH said at 3pm yesterday that the depression could have formed into a cyclone over the past 24 hours.
He also said that based upon initial projections, if the cyclone develops, it may make landfall over Northern Rahkine State and Chittagong Division, in South-East Bangladesh. Though other predictions expect Bangladesh to receive the brunt of the storm. “[It could] develop into a cyclone over the next 24 hours as it moves in a north-eastern direction,” he told The Global New Light of Myanmar.
The color ‘yellow’ is given to a cyclone that is not set to make landfall, but is to affect a country.
As of 3pm yesterday the DMH warned of possible landslides in Chin State, as rains intensify over Rahkine and Chin States over the past 24 hours, flash flood warnings have also been issued for the states.
Hla Tun told The Global New Light of Myanmar that localised heavy falls will begin to effect the states as of today. If the depression turns into a cyclonic storm widespread devastation is to be expected.
The potential cyclone will affect vulnerable communities still recovering from Cyclone Komen that ravaged Myanmar in July 2015.
Cyclone Komen, even though not making landfall in Myanmar, caused disastrous flooding and landslides, affecting western parts of the country.
Previous Myanmar President U Thein Sein declared Rahkine and Chin States, as well as Magway and Sagaing Regions as natural disaster zones on 31 July 2015. Rahkine State suffered the most from flooding.
Massive public, private and governmental support came in the wake of the aftermath. People on the streets of Yangon could be seen walking through traffic collecting donations.
A massive support base grew online as Myanmar citizens abroad through their weight behind the relief efforts. 125 people were killed with 1.7 million people displaced from last years’ disaster.
1.1 million acres of farmland was inundated by floodwater, with 872,000 acres destroyed.
Myanmar will wave off its unrelenting heat wave, as isolated heavy falls descend upon Yangon,
Ayeyawady, Magway, Bago and Tanintharyi Regions as of today. “The depression will also bring unseasonably strong monsoonal winds,” Hla Tun said.
70 to 80 km per hour winds (45-50 miles) are expected with heavy squalls and rough seas for Myanmar’s coastal areas.
The same depression has caused widespread flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka with 200 families missing, according to the Sri Lankan Red Cross.
On Tuesday sixteen bodies were discovered and 180 people were rescued, in an area affected by landslides in the storm rattled country.
Heavy falls are expected in India’s southeastern states of Tamil Nadu and Andrha-Pradesh where falls of up to 300mm is expected.