New Delhi: Cyclone Mocha intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm on Friday morning packing winds of up to 135 kmph.
Influenced by the depression which is rapidly gaining strength, Kerala is likely to experience heavy rainfall for the next five days. Thunderstorm with lightning accompanied by gusty winds speed reaching 30-40 Kmph is very likely at one or two places over Kerala till May 15, the Met department said.
The cyclone lay centred over southeast Bay of Bengal about 520 km west-northwest of Port Blair at 5:30 am on Friday, the weather office said. The cyclone which is likely to move towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast is expected to gain a speed of 175 km/h.
The weather office said Cyclone Mocha (pronounced Mokha), named by Yemen after its Red Sea port city, will further intensify on Friday and re-curve north-northeastwards for a Sunday landfall between Cox's Bazaar and Kyaukpyu, close to port city Sittwe in Myanmar, packing winds of 175 kmph.
The IMD has asked fishermen, ships, boats and trawlers not to venture into central and northeast Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea till Sunday.
Those sailing in central Bay of Bengal and north Andaman Sea are advised to return to coast.
The IMD predicted a storm surge of 1.5-2 metres for the low-lying coastal region of Bangladesh near Cox's Bazaar.
Under the influence of the weather system, Tripura and Mizoram are likely to get heavy rainfall Saturday onwards. Nagaland, Manipur and south Assam are expected to get rainfall at many places on Sunday.
(With PTI inputs.)
