“According to the measurement of 12:30 p.m. Myanmar time today of May 14th, the Mokha storm may continue to move into a strong inland storm in the next 32 hours,” announced by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.
The center of very strong Mokha cyclone has already passed through Sittwe between Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh and Kyaukpyu in Myanmar.
It is said that it may continue to move to the north-northeast of Myanmar and may enter in Chin State and Magway as a strong cyclone, in Sagaing as Cyclone “Mokha” and Kachin State as a strong inland storm.
Now there is a storm and it is raining. I didn’t see the sunrise all day. When I called my relatives in Hpakant area, they said that the wind was blowing. In the Putao area, both internet connection and phone lines are down,” said a resident of Myitkyina, Kachin State.
He added that since the beginning of a long time, Kachin region is an area where food is stored for raining season and summer, so it will be able to withstand a storm even if it hits.
The highest wind speed in Rakhine State is from 110 to 120 miles per hour, and the maximum wind speed can be from 70 miles to 90 miles per hour in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway. Irrawaddy Region and Chin State.
“Now it’s raining a lot. It’s raining more than the wind. Right now, instead of helping the people, the SAC military troops are on patrol, so we can’t help the people. We’re fleeing in the rain, so we need food, medicine, and shelter for the people,” said a member of the Local Defense Force in Kani Township, Sagaing Region.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that “since May 14th, the Cyclone “Mokha”, which crossed Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State and Cox’s Bazar region in Bangladesh, is stronger than Cyclone “Nargis”, which has hit Myanmar in 10 years ago, and is likely to become the second strongest Cyclone”.
“I’ve experienced it once, so I’m afraid. I’ve experienced a storm before, so I had to tie ropes to the house and press down on the roof. Before, I was too close to life, so I was worried. I planned to move to a safe place, but now I’m staying at home,” said a resident of Pyapon town.
WFP has pre-positioned enough food to support the needs of more than 400,000 people in Myanmar’s Rakhine State and nearby areas for one month.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) has announced that UNOCHA has also planned to carry out relief operations throughout Myanmar, and it has accelerated preparations in northwestern Myanmar and Rakhine State.