Cyclone Komen is expected to cross Chittagong, Bangladesh, into northwestern Burma on Thursday evening, bringing with it wind speeds of up to 80 miles per hour and torrential rain.
After suffering severe flooding and landslides across Burma earlier in the week, the Meteorology and Hydrology Department on 30 July issued a warning for further heavy rainfall, strong winds, and flash floods for most of the country.
As of 10.30am Burmese time, the orange-alert cyclone was centred in the sea 50 miles east of Chittagong and 85 miles northwest of Maungdaw, Arakan State. Komen was reported to be carrying a wind speed of 50mph and air pressure of 968hPa.
Storm surges are also likely to occur during the storm, and are estimated to reach between 8– 10 feet high in Maungdaw and 6– 8 feet in Sittwe.
Areas likely to be affected by the cyclone are Sagaing, Mandalay, Magwe, Rangoon, Irrawaddy and Bago regions, as well as Shan, Chin, Arakan, Karen and Mon states.
The Myanmar Fisheries Federation (MFF) urged agricultural businesses to “prepare for disaster” on Thursday.
According to state media, the primary concern for the MFF is the disruptions to fish farms in the country’s south, while government departments have advised offshore fishing vessels to remain at shore.
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The Global New Light of Myanmar on Thursday reported that no damage to fish farms have been reported yet, but farmers across the country have been warned that flood waters brought by Komen have the potential for great losses.
