Severe Cyclone Nargis rages in Bay of Bengal
Bangladesh has been anxiously monitoring the progress of Cyclone Nargis, the first cyclone to develop since deadly Cyclone Sidr.
Sidr hit Bangladesh last November leaving thousands dead and causing widespread devastation across the country. Authorities this week have issued an alert for Nargis and have warned residents near the coast to be ready to evacuate quickly if necessary.
Cyclone Nargis lies in the Bay of Bengal and has been slowly intensifying since its development on Sunday. It is now classed as a “very severe” cyclonic storm with winds currently recorded to be above 80mph (130 km/h). After little movement earlier in the week, Nargis has now begun to move northeast across the Bay. The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre (JTWC) warns the storm may intensify further over the next few days. If it continues on its current path it is expected to make landfall on Myanmar late Friday, on the Teknaf-Akyab coast.
While this forecast offers Bangladesh some relief, the cyclone could still change path and deal the country a surprise blow.
