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Bangladesh put on cyclone alert | Bangladesh put on cyclone alert |
(40 minutes later) | |
The coastal districts of Bangladesh have been put on storm alert as a severe cyclone heads in across the Bay of Bengal, officials say. | The coastal districts of Bangladesh have been put on storm alert as a severe cyclone heads in across the Bay of Bengal, officials say. |
Operations have been suspended at the main ports of Mongla and Chittagong, and people are being moved away from high-risk areas. | Operations have been suspended at the main ports of Mongla and Chittagong, and people are being moved away from high-risk areas. |
More than 40,000 policemen, soldiers, coastguards and health workers have been deployed along the coast. | More than 40,000 policemen, soldiers, coastguards and health workers have been deployed along the coast. |
The cyclone is expected to make landfall in the next few hours. | The cyclone is expected to make landfall in the next few hours. |
With winds of 200km an hour, the cyclone - expected to make landfall around 0800 GMT - may also affect eastern Indian and the west coast of Burma. | With winds of 200km an hour, the cyclone - expected to make landfall around 0800 GMT - may also affect eastern Indian and the west coast of Burma. |
Thousands of families have been evacuated from their homes in over a dozen coastal districts of Bangladesh, officials said. | Thousands of families have been evacuated from their homes in over a dozen coastal districts of Bangladesh, officials said. |
'Serious' | 'Serious' |
The BBC's Alastair Lawson on board a boat chartered by the BBC to assess the impact of climate change says that the weather is now taking a marked turn for the worse. | |
Our correspondent - located on the Jamuna river north-west of Dhaka - says that the weather is overcast and the wind has picked up significantly. | |
Officials say that the level of casualties from cyclones in Bangladesh has been significantly reduced in recent years because of a better early-warning system and the construction of cyclone shelters. | |
Bangladesh's southern seaside resort town of Cox's Bazar appeared to be deserted after the cyclone warning was issued on Wednesday evening, reports said. | Bangladesh's southern seaside resort town of Cox's Bazar appeared to be deserted after the cyclone warning was issued on Wednesday evening, reports said. |
Bangladesh meteorological department officials said they feared the cyclone may also trigger tidal surges up to 10ft (over three metres) in some areas. | Bangladesh meteorological department officials said they feared the cyclone may also trigger tidal surges up to 10ft (over three metres) in some areas. |
Southern Bangladesh is often hit by cyclones, but experts say the latest one is a category four storm, the largest so far in the season. | Southern Bangladesh is often hit by cyclones, but experts say the latest one is a category four storm, the largest so far in the season. |
"This is going to be a highly damaging cyclone," Samarendra Karmakar, director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department told the BBC. | |
Bangladesh is frequently hit by cyclones and monsoon floods. | Bangladesh is frequently hit by cyclones and monsoon floods. |