Bangladesh Braces for Tuesday Landfall of Cyclone Sitrang

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm, which could barrel into Bangladesh's south coast in the early hours of Tuesday, according to State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Enamur Rahman.

Storm shelters and emergency relief are being prepared to protect people in areas falling on the cyclone's path, he said on Sunday.

The cyclone, named Sitrang by Thailand, may not be very intense, but the new moon could worsen the storm surge, according to Enamur.

"This time, there is a risk of tidal surge that may be around three to five feet high as the cyclone is likely to occur during the new moon. It will pack winds of around 90 to 110 km per hour."

Sitrang manifested on Sunday afternoon and is likely to make landfall some time after Monday midnight, according to the Met Office.

However, the cyclone's relative lack of intensity is likely to be offset by its wide range of impact. "We expect it to affect more areas than any storm in the last three years. We are considering 19 coastal districts to be vulnerable," said Enamur.

Preparations are already underway, particularly in the most vulnerable areas, to limit the impact of the cyclone, he added.

"We have spoken to the district administrators. Cyclone shelters have already been cleaned and prepared. Around 1,000 packets of dry food, 25 tonnes of rice and Tk 500,000 has been sent to each district."_Agencies