Cyclone skirts Myanmar
A storm gathering in the Bay of Bengal is now anticipated to unleash heavy rain on Myanmar, but the cyclone has turned northwest and is forecast to hit India and Bangladesh instead. The Department of Meteorology and Hydrology said on October 24 that the cyclone is no longer on track to make landfall in Myanmar. The red alert, indicating a storm is expected to cross the coastline within 12 hours, has been downgraded to yellow, meaning the storm has formed but is not directed toward Myanmar. While no longer in the path of the season’s first cyclone, thousands of residents in the delta are still expected to bear the brunt of the storm before it curves. Labutta and Thandwe townships are still in the rage of gusting winds up to 65 kilometres per hour. Flooding continues to be forecast as a major risk.
