Cyclone Hamoon Strikes Bangladesh
Bangladesh's coastal regions are once again in the crosshairs of a powerful storm, Cyclone HamoHamoon. This low-lying South Asian nation has been grappling with an increasing frequency of severe weather events, a trend often linked to the effects of climate change.
As Cyclone Hamoon made landfall in the southeastern coast, around 275,000 people took refuge in shelters on Wednesday. Tragically, the cyclone claimed the lives of two individuals. One person lost their life due to a falling tree, while another perished as a building collapsed. Ten more people sustained injuries and are presently receiving medical attention.
Though the cyclone disrupted power lines and drenched coastal villages and islands with heavy rainfall, fortunately, there have been no widespread reports of significant damage. Kamrul Hasan, the secretary of the disaster management ministry, reported the evacuations of over 273,000 people to cyclone shelters.
According to Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, an expert from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Cyclone Hamoon made landfall in the Chittagong and Cox's Bazar coastal districts in the early hours of Wednesday, bringing wind speeds of up to 104 kilometers (65 miles) per hour. Mallik also indicated that the cyclone is likely to move further inland and weaken gradually.
It's important to note that Bangladesh's southeastern coast is home to nearly one million Rohingya refugees who fled Myanmar and now reside in vulnerable tarpaulin shelters. Thankfully, the cyclone's main path did not directly impact these refugee camps.
However, Cox's Bazar district lost power late on Tuesday, making it difficult to assess the extent of damages in the area.
Climate change is believed to be intensifying the severity of tropical storms, resulting in increased rainfall and stronger winds that contribute to flash floods and coastal damage. In fact, in May, Cyclone Mocha became the most powerful storm to hit Bangladesh since Cyclone Sidr in November 2007, which claimed more than 3,000 lives and caused billions of dollars in damage. Nonetheless, improved forecasting and more effective evacuation plans have significantly reduced the death toll from recent storms in the region.
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