Cyclone Triggers Mass Evacuations In Myanmar, Brings Rain To Thailand's Eastern And Western Parts

[webfact]

Cyclone triggers mass evacuations in Bangladesh, Myanmar
by Phyo Hein Kyaw

Sittwe, Myanmar, May 15, 2013 (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of people in Bangladesh and Myanmar were ordered to evacuate Wednesday as a cyclone bore down on coastal areas home to flood-prone refugee camps for victims of sectarian unrest.

The United Nations has warned that more than eight million people could be at risk from Cyclone Mahasen, which is expected to make landfall on Thursday or Friday somewhere near the border between the two countries.

Bangladesh told hundreds of thousands of people living in low-lying areas to move to cyclone shelters, while Myanmar announced plans to relocate roughly 166,000 people on its northwest coast to safety.

But in Myanmar's state of Rakhine, many Muslim Rohingya made homeless by communal bloodshed last year said they were too scared to move, reflecting their deep mistrust of the authorities and of local Buddhists.

"We could die here. We have no place to go," said Yu Sut Taw, a Muslim man living in a camp on the outskirts of the state capital Sittwe, one of several in Rakhine which are home to a total of about 140,000 displaced persons.

AFP reporters who visited two camps on Wednesday saw few signs of a mass evacuation under way.
Buddhist-Muslim clashes in the region last year left about 200 people dead and whole neighbourhoods burned to the ground.

Illustrating the dangers facing some of those who have tried to flee, 58 Rohingya were missing after their boat capsized on Monday as they tried to escape to higher ground.

The cyclone appeared to have lost some of its strength as it churned northwards through the Bay of Bengal, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement late Tuesday.

But it may still bring "life-threatening conditions" for 8.2 million people in northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar, it warned.

Around 30 million of Bangladesh's 153 million people live along the coast, which is also home to ramshackle camps housing Rohingya refugees.

"We have been using loudspeakers to alert both documented and undocumented Rohingya refugees of the dangers of the cyclone," said Mohammed Kamruzzaman, a government magistrate in charge of a Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazaar.

"We've also stockpiled dry food, kept medical teams and ambulances on standby and shifted the sick and pregnant women from the camps to hospitals."

Cyclone Mahasen was packing winds of up to 88 kilometres (55 miles) per hour at its centre and could unleash a storm surge of up to seven feet (two metres), said Shamsuddin Ahmed, deputy chief of Bangladesh Meteorological Department.

Bangladesh and Myanmar have both been frequent victims of cyclones which have left hundreds of thousands of people dead in recent decades.

Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Myanmar's Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008, killed about 140,000 people.

Experts say Bangladesh is better prepared to handle cyclones than authorities across the border in Rakhine, where the military was deployed to oversee the evacuation.

"Some people don't want to leave. We don't want to see them die so we will move them under the law of protection from natural disasters," said Aung Min, minister of the Myanmar president's office.

"We will continue to evacuate as many as possible until the last minute when the cyclone hits."

He said about 27,000 Rohingya had already been moved but added that there was a lack of proper cyclone shelters.

"We don't have any cyclone shelter in Rakhine state. We see that we should have constructed cyclone shelters there."

Myanmar said the cyclone could delay President Thein Sein's planned state visit to Washington -- the first in almost half a century by a leader of the country formerly known as Burma, which is emerging from decades of military rule.

Rights groups have criticised Myanmar for failing to provide permanent housing sooner for displaced Rohingya, after months of warnings of the danger posed to the camps by this year's monsoon.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-05-15

Weather forecasts for all provinces in Thailand: weather.thaivisa.com

[webfact]

Cyclone Mahasen brings rain to Thailand’s eastern and western parts

BANGKOK, 15 May 2013 (NNT) - Residents in the western and eastern parts of Thailand have been warned to brace for more heavy rains as cyclone Mahasen makes landfall in the region.

The Meteorological Department reported that the cyclone is making landfall in Bangladesh tomorrow, bringing more storms to provinces in the East and West during the next couple of days.

At least seven people have died and nearly 3,000 left homeless in Sri Lanka after the cyclonic storm caused heavy rains in the north and eastern parts. The tropical cyclone has developed in the Bay of Bengal over the last few days.

In the East, isolated thundershowers are expected in a number of provinces which include Chonburi and Trat. Strong winds can generate up to 2 meter-high waves.

The eastern and northern parts of Bangkok and its vicinities will also be hit by heavy downpours, where the average temperature hovers around 35-38 degrees Celsius.


-- NNT 2013-05-15

[lee b]

Please bring some rain to chiang mai its hottttt !!

[sunholidaysun1]

I don’t know. I see Yolida yoghurt on the shelf almost every time I shop there. Only once did I not find what I was looking for. I think they do a pretty good job of stocking the shelves, considering our less than central location.

Cyclone Mahasen brings rain to Thailand’s eastern and western parts

BANGKOK, 15 May 2013 (NNT) - Residents in the western and eastern parts of Thailand have been warned to brace for more heavy rains as cyclone Mahasen makes landfall in the region.

The Meteorological Department reported that the cyclone is making landfall in Bangladesh tomorrow, bringing more storms to provinces in the East and West during the next couple of days.

At least seven people have died and nearly 3,000 left homeless in Sri Lanka after the cyclonic storm caused heavy rains in the north and eastern parts. The tropical cyclone has developed in the Bay of Bengal over the last few days.

In the East, isolated thundershowers are expected in a number of provinces which include Chonburi and Trat. Strong winds can generate up to 2 meter-high waves.

The eastern and northern parts of Bangkok and its vicinities will also be hit by heavy downpours, where the average temperature hovers around 35-38 degrees Celsius.

-- NNT 2013-05-15

Not sure why they think the Cyclone will be affecting the areas they have stated , Bangladesh and Myamar are no where near B angkok , Trat and Chonburi and nowhere near the path ?

[khwaibah]

[villagefarang]

I don’t know. I see Yolida yoghurt on the shelf almost every time I shop there. Only once did I not find what I was looking for. I think they do a pretty good job of stocking the shelves, considering our less than central location.

>>Cyclone Mahasen brings rain to Thailand’s eastern and western parts

BANGKOK, 15 May 2013 (NNT) - Residents in the western and eastern parts of Thailand have been warned to brace for more heavy rains as cyclone Mahasen makes landfall in the region.

The Meteorological Department reported that the cyclone is making landfall in Bangladesh tomorrow, bringing more storms to provinces in the East and West during the next couple of days.

At least seven people have died and nearly 3,000 left homeless in Sri Lanka after the cyclonic storm caused heavy rains in the north and eastern parts. The tropical cyclone has developed in the Bay of Bengal over the last few days.

In the East, isolated thundershowers are expected in a number of provinces which include Chonburi and Trat. Strong winds can generate up to 2 meter-high waves.

The eastern and northern parts of Bangkok and its vicinities will also be hit by heavy downpours, where the average temperature hovers around 35-38 degrees Celsius.

-- NNT 2013-05-15

Not sure why they think the Cyclone will be affecting the areas they have stated , Bangladesh and Myamar are no where near B angkok , Trat and Chonburi and nowhere near the path ?

Someone must be having difficulty with the quote function. How did I get in there?

Edited May 15, 2013 by villagefarang

[ratcatcher]

Please bring some rain to chiang mai its hottttt !!

I'm sure the venerable Mr "Waterman" Plodprasop will not welcome rain at his arresting performance as King Mangrai in Chiang Mai on 19th & 20th May.

Edited May 15, 2013 by ratcatcher

[Soutpeel]

One hopes the Rohingya's dont attempt to escape the this cyclone in a boat via Thailand...

[hellodolly]

Well I certainly hope the new government in Myanmar will be more willing to accept aid.

[Thai at Heart]

One hopes the Rohingya's dont attempt to escape the this cyclone in a boat via Thailand...

Well the might land in cape town.