After playing down chances of Sitrang, Enamur now warns of December cyclone

Another cyclone is likely to hit Bangladesh in December, said Bangladesh State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman on Tuesday.

According to the information of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), another cyclone may hit the country in the month of December, he said while speaking at a press briefing over the cyclone Sitrang at the Secretariat.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina thanked me over phone on Monday night for taking measures for Cyclone Sitrang and she also asked me that there will be another cyclone which may hit the country in December. She asked me to take precautionary measures like Sitrang,” said the minister.

The state minister said around 10,000 houses in 419 unions of the country were damaged by cyclone Sitrang that lashed the coastal districts Monday night. Sitrang did not turn into a severe cyclone and crossed the coastal area very quickly, the state minister said while talking to reporters at the Secretariat regarding the aftermath of the cyclone.

“We have been able to provide shelter to 10 lakh people in 6,925 cyclone shelters. The cyclone weakened quickly after hitting the coastal districts at 10pm,” said Enamur.

People have already left the shelters, he added.

The state minister also said nine deaths have so far been reported after the cyclone hit the country, although unofficial counts exceed that number. UNB has so far counted 29 deaths due to the cyclone.

Cyclone Sitrang completed its landfall and weakened to a tropical depression over Bangladesh early Tuesday, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

Earlier on October 12, Enamur Rahman had told reporters there was "no possibility" of 'Sitrang' hitting the Bangladesh coast, as the depression leading to a cyclone was yet to be formed over the Bay of Bengal - although that is exactly what scientists were predicting.

Thereafter he appeared in the media on Sunday, October 23, the eve of the cyclone hitting, to announce that it was after all going to hit Bangladesh, but he announced landfall would be on Tuesday, i.e. today.

The cyclone's overall impact on the country was felt throughout Monday, even before it started landfall off the coast in Bhola around 9pm on the day, completing the process, i.e. the eye of the cyclone moving completely over land, by 1am on Tuesday, according to the Meteorology Department.