Cyclone Mocha Causes Extensive Damage as it Emerges from Bay of Bengal

Posted: May 16, 2023 3:00 pm

The death toll continues to rise across Bangladesh and Myanmar as the search and rescue operations head into the third day after Cyclone Mocha’s strike. Here is the latest on the aftermath of this deadly cyclone.

Details of Cyclone Mocha

Cyclone Mocha slammed into Myanmar near Sittwe on Sunday afternoon, packing sustained winds of 160 mph. Peak wind gusts hit as high as 195 mph, putting the storm in the category of an “extremely severe cyclonic storm” as defined by the India Meteorological Department.

This level is equivalent to a strong Category 3 or Category 4 storm on the scale most familiar to Americans.

At least six fatalities have been attributed to the cyclone, however, officials warn that the death toll is expected to climb in the coming days as rescuers sift through the rubble. The Associated Press (AP) also reported that about 700 people were injured near the site of the landfall.

As the capital township of the state of Rakhine in the western portion of Myanmar, the mass destruction in Sittwe is creating a logistical nightmare. Aerial images of the damage continue to come in from Sittwe, demonstrating near destruction across the bulk of the area.

Cyclone Mocha is now distinguished as the first named storm to come out of the Bay of Bengal this year. Cyclone Mandous took root in this corner of the world in December of 2022.

Mocha is also the strongest storm to make a direct strike on Myanmar since October 2010 when Cyclone Girl impacted the country.

Mocha’s Impacts on Neighboring Bangladesh Also Severe

The neighboring country of Bangladesh did not see a direct strike from Mocha, however, it was affected with torrential rain and damaging winds. According to the AP, approximately 2,000 homes were destroyed in Bangladesh along with another 10,000 homes reporting damage.

The greatest amount of damage occurred on St. Martin’s Island and the Cox’s Bazar area of Teknaf. There have been no fatalities reported thus far in Bangladesh.

Officials in Bangladesh were able to evacuate over 750,000 from the coastal village in the days prior to the storm’s arrival. Myanmar also benefited from a vast relief effort organized by the World Food Programme.

The country of Myanmar is situated in an area of the globe that is more prone to natural disasters. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most undeveloped nations in the world, making it particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events.

Because of the impacts of climate change, these tropical features are holding on to their energy and moisture for longer periods of time. As a result, the countries that had previously been in the crosshairs of these developments are even more susceptible to extensive damage.

What Happened After Mocha’s Landfall

The powerful storm lost its wind intensity once it made landfall and moved over the higher terrains of northwestern Myanmar. While the strong winds were mitigated by the mountainous terrain, Mocha still dumped a significant amount of tropical moisture as it moved closer to the Yunnan province in China.

Once in this part of Asia, the remnants of Mocha met with a mass of cold air that produced a winter wonderland. Blizzard conditions fired up in Yunnan, a province that juts up next to Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos. Accumulating snow was reported on roads in this rare May snow event.

Looking to What is Next for Mocha

While no longer a cyclone, Mocha is still full of moisture as it moves to the east. Its remnants are forecast to merge with a developing extratropical low over China. This feature will dump heavy rain across the Yangtze Valley and across into the Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, located in eastern China on Wednesday.

By Thursday, this low will continue its journey to the north and the east. Heavy rain is expected to fall over the Ryukyu Island of Japan by Thursday morning.

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