The government has asked people of 10 vulnerable coastal districts to move to shelters by 8 pm on Tuesday as severe cyclonic storm Hamoon likely to cross Bangladesh between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
State Minister for Disaster and Relief Management Dr Eanmur Rahman told this to reporters after a meeting on cyclone preparedness at the secretariat Tuesday morning.
The 10 vulnerable districts are Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirojpur, Jhalakati, Barguna, Chattogram, Feni, Noakhali, Laxmipur and Chandpur.
Medical teams have been formed and a huge quantity of emergency medicines and medical accessories have been kept ready, he said.
Enamur said the cyclone may make landfall in coastal districts of Chattogram, Feni, Laxmipur, Barguna and Barishal between 10 pm Tuesday to 10 am on Wednesday.
Read: Cyclone Hamoon: Ctg port authority issues ‘Alert No 3’; relocates 22 ships
Asked how many shelters were kept prepared in the 10 districts, he said that he has not yet received information about the figure.
The deep depression over west-central Bay and adjoining area has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm ‘Hamoon’.
According to a special bulletin of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the severe cyclonic storm ‘Hamoon’ now lies over northwest Bay and adjoining area and was centred at noon about 330 km west-southwest of Chattogram port, 295 km west-southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 250 km southwest of Mongla port, and 215 km southwest of Payra port.
Read: Cyclone Hamoon: BMD predicts light to moderate rain across the country over 24 hours
It is likely to move north-northeastwartds and may cross Barishal-Chattogram coast near Meghan estuary by late night to morning as a cyclonic storm, it reads.
Maritime ports of Payra and Chattogram have been advised to hoist danger signal number 7, the maritime port of Cox’s Bazar has been advised to hoist danger signal 6 while the maritime port of Mongla has been advised to hoist danger signal 5.
Read more: Cyclone Hamoon: Payra, Ctg ports advised to hoist danger signal 7