GUWAHATI: As many as five states of the Northeast are likely to be lashed by heavy rainfall on May 13 and 14.
This rainfall prediction over the five Northeast states was made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
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The IMD made this forecast after the deep depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm ‘Mocha’ on Thursday (May 11).
Cyclone Mocha is expected to make a landfall along the Myanmar–Bangladesh border regions on May 14.
The IMD has issued an alert for Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura as these three Northeast states share borders with Myanmar or Bangladesh.
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Notably the IMD has issued an “orange alert” for the three Northeast states of Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura.
Heavy rainfall accompanied by gusty winds are also predicted for Nagaland and districts located in south Assam.
Northeast states will witness record heavy rainfall during the weekend.
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Tripura and Mizoram will witness heavy rainfall on May 13, and heavy rainfall at isolated places on May 14.
Nagaland, Manipur and south Assam will receive heavy rainfall on Sunday.
Cyclone Mocha will reach peak intensity Saturday (May 13) evening and is likely to weaken slightly from Sunday (May 14) morning and cross the coasts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to IMD.
Cyclone Mocha will have a maximum speed of 130 kmph during landfall.
“The deep depression over southeast Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 8 kmph during past 6 hours, intensified into a cyclonic storm “Mocha” pronounced as “Mokha” and lay centred at 0530 hours IST of 11th May 2023 over the same region near latitude 11.2°N and longitude 88.1°E, about 510 km west-southwest of Port Blair, 1210 km south-southwest of Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and 1120 km south-southwest of Sittwe (Myanmar),” an official statement said.
“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and gradually intensify into a severe cyclonic storm around midnight. Thereafter, it is likely to recurve gradually, move north-northeastwards from the morning of May 12 and intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm on the same evening over the central Bay of Bengal. It would reach its peak intensity around the May 13 evening,” the statement said.
“Thereafter, it is likely to weaken slightly from the May 14 morning and cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) and Kyaukpyu (Myanmar) around the forenoon of May 14, 2023, with a maximum sustained wind speed of 120-130 kmph gusting to 145 kmph,” it added.