DHAKA, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Cyclone Mora made landfall in Bangladesh's southeastern region Tuesday morning with heavy rain and gusting wind speed up to 135 kph.
Strong winds and a dangerous storm surged along the coast after the storm came ashore at 6:00 a.m. local time, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
No casualties have so far been reported.
But Mora left behind a tail of destruction in Chittagong, some 242 km southeast of capital Dhaka, and Cox's Bazaar, some 392 km southeast of Dhaka.
Jalil Uddin Bhuiyan, a control room official at Bangladesh's Disaster Management Ministry in Dhaka, told journalists that the cyclone damaged houses, uprooted trees, snapped power and communication lines, disrupted rail, road and air traffic.
In its latest special bulletin, BMD said at about 9:00 a.m. local time Tuesday that Mora over North Bay and adjoining East central Bay moved northwards further, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over North Bay and has started crossing Cox's Bazar-Chittagong coast near Kutubdia at 6:00 a.m. local time.
According to BMD bulletin, under the influence of the storm, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Borguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirozpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands are likely to be inundated by storm surge of several feet height above normal astronomical tide.
"It is likely to move in a Northerly direction further and weaken gradually. Rain/thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty/squally wind is likely to occur at most places over Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong & Sylhet divisions and at many places over Rangpur & Rajshahi divisions with heavy to very heavy falls at places over the country."
BMD officials said an inclement weather will persist Tuesday.
They said Mora already weakened and has gradually been reducing to a depression as it moves further north.
According to the officials, the cyclone did not prove to be as devastating as feared.
The great danger signal No. 10 has been sounded for all the districts and ports where fishing boats, trawlers and maritime vessels over the north bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.
Bangladesh Monday ordered evacuation of about 1 million people from its coastlines as Mora in the Bay of Bengal is poised to cross the country's southern coast in the early hours of Thursday.
Bangladesh's Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief had earlier said some 50,000 volunteers are getting ready for emergency duties at any moment with support of all other government agencies.
Television footage showed widespread flooding in coastal areas of Cox's Bazaar, Chittagong and Patuakhali and 12 other districts where hundreds of thousands of people have also reportedly been evacuated.
