Cyclone Midhili: Gusty winds with heavy rain persist across the coastal region

The coastal areas of Bhola and Khulna is experiencing heavy rainfall with gusty winds due to influence of the cyclonic storm ‍‍`Midhili‍‍` over the Bay of Bengal.

Since Friday morning, there have been moderate to heavy rains accompanied by strong gusty winds, causing waterlogging in many parts of the coastal. Meanwhile, the Meghna River remains very rough due to the impact of the approaching cyclonic storm. 

Moniruzzaman, in charge of the Bhola meteorological office, said the district recorded 86 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Gusts of up to 8 nautical were also reported.

Meanwhile, an emergency meeting of the district disaster management committee was held at the deputy commissioner‍‍`s conference room at 9 pm on Thursday. 

During the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Arifuzzaman highlighted the extensive preparations undertaken by the district administration to tackle the cyclone. 

A total of 869 cyclone shelters and 12 Mujib Killa have been readied across the district. 

Additionally, over 1,000 educational institutions have been notified to be on standby for potential use as shelters, according to DC Arifuzzaman.

Eight control rooms have been set up across seven upazilas, with a total of 13,860 Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) volunteers on standby. Medical teams have also been assembled. 

Meanwhile, there are 341 metric tonnes of rice and Tk 20 lakh in cash available for relief purpose in the deputy commissioner‍‍`s fund to tackle the approaching disaster.

The deputy commissioner said preparations have been made to to relocate one lakh residents from isolated and vulnerable char areas of the district to safer locations.

The process of issuing warnings has commenced to ensure the safe return of deep-sea fishing trawlers, said DC Arifuzzaman.

Meanwhile, Khulna received 38 mm of rainfall from 6 am to 10 am on Friday morning. With the passage of time, the speed of rain and wind is increasing, according to met officials.

Amirul Azad, the senior meteorologist leading the Khulna Meteorological Office, reported that Khulna is experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall across the district due to the impact of cyclone Midhili.

The coastal areas are experiencing winds blowing at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, he said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has suspended all launch operations from Barisal as cyclone ‍‍`Midhili‍‍` over the northwest Bay of Bengal is gradually moving towards the coast. 

Besides, the district has been witnessing continuous rain since last night, causing low-lying areas to become waterlogged.

In the last 24 hours, Barishal has recorded 71 mm of rainfall. 

Confirming the suspension of the launch, Assistant Director of  Naval Safety and Traffic Management Department of Barishal River Port, Riyad Hossain said Barishal River Port has been advised to keep hoisted danger signal number 2.