Bangladesh, Orissa Issue Storm Warnings as Cyclone Intensifies

Amid indications of the advancing cyclone Bijli intensifying, Bangladesh on Thursday asked ports to raise storm warning signals higher and ordered all fishing boats and trawlers to remain close to shore.

At the moment the storm is said to be intensifying menacingly and is reported to be packing winds of up to 80 kmph.

“Cyclone Bijli is likely to intensify and move in a north- northeasterly direction,” say media reports citing a statement from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

Meteorologists said Bijli, which means lightning, was likely to make a landfall late Saturday or early Sunday at Bangladesh’s Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar coastline.

Though, the storm warning levels have been raised to grade three the signal was still two points short of a calamity requiring major preparations by authorities.

The Orissa state government in India has also issued alerts to all coastal districts and advised fishermen against going to the sea.