Cyclone Mocha over Bay of Bengal

Kolkata: The deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm -- Mocha -- overnight and it is likely to make landfall between Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh and Sittwe in Myanmar, officials said on Thursday morning.

The cyclone, named Mocha by Yemen -- pronounced as 'Mokha', is likely to bring heavy rainfall to the Andaman island chain, they said. At 8.30 am, the cyclonic storm was about 510 km southwest of Port Blair, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The storm is likely to turn into a severe cyclonic storm by tonight, it said. "It would reach its peak intensity on the evening of May 13," the IMD said. It is likely to weaken slightly from the morning of May 14, and cross southeast Bangladesh and north Myanmar coasts between Cox's Bazar and Kyaukpyu with a maximum sustained wind speed of 120-130 kmph, gusting to 145 kmph, the IMD said.