Mocha: First cyclone of 2023 likely to form in Bay of Bengal, these states may be affected
1 min read 04 May 2023, 08:09 AM ISTMocha: The naming of this cyclone was done as per the decree issued by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)
PremiumThe weather office on Wednesday said it has picked up early signs of a cyclone developing in the southeast Bay of Bengal and warned fishermen and the shipping community against venturing into the region.
Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department, said a cyclone is likely to develop in the southeast Bay of Bengal on May 9 and a prediction of its path would be made in the next few days.
Upon its intensification into a Cyclonic Storm, the system will be named Cyclone Mocha, recommended by Yemen, and originates from the Yemeni city Mocha (or Mokha) located on the Red Sea coast. Long known for its coffee trade, the port city also gave its name to the famous Mocha coffee.
The naming of this cyclone was done as per the decree issued by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which states that each cyclone must be named to avoid confusion in instances where multiple systems operate in one location.
How is Odisha preparing for the cyclone?
The Odisha government has already put collectors of 18 coastal and adjoining districts and officials of 11 departments on the alert, its special relief commissioner Satyabrata Sahu said on Wednesday.
Mrutunjay Mohapatra said that there was no need to panic, information on the cyclone is aimed at updating fishermen, oil explorers, or any other commercial operations being carried out in the Bay of Bengal.
However, all cyclone-prone districts are kept in a state of readiness. Districts and line departments along with the NDRF, ODRAF, and others are in readiness for any possible eventuality.
East coast witnesses three major summer cyclones
The east coast has witnessed three major summer cyclones - Fani, Amphan, and Yaas - in the month of May in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.
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