MSGID: 1:317/3 645e7ea5
PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08
May 12, 2023 - Potentially Disastrous Tropical Cyclone Mocha forms in the Bay
of Bengal

   Tropical Cyclone Mocha
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   On May 11, 2023, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer
   (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of
   newly-formed Tropical Cyclone Mocha as it strengthened over the Bay of
   Bengal.

   At 11:00 p.m. EDT on May 11 (0300 UTC on May 12), the Joint Typhoon
   Warning Center (JTWC) estimated that Mocha was located approximately
   670 miles (1,078 km) south-southwest of Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh and was
   tracking northward at 7 mph (11.3 km/h). It was carrying maximum
   sustained winds very close to 75 mph (121 km/h), which would place it
   equivalent to a Category 1 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind
   Scale. It was pushing waves of 28 feet (8.5 meters).

   Tropical Cyclone Mocha is expected to turn towards the northeast and
   rapidly intensify as it will be moving over water with warm sea surface
   temperatures and low wind shear. In this advisory, the JTWC raised its
   estimate of maximum strength to 147.3 mph (237 km/h), equivalent to a
   strong Category 4 storm, within 48 hours. Mocha is expected to make
   landfall near Sittwe City, the capital of Rakhine State, western
   Myanmar near southeastern Bangladesh at about maximum strength.

   Such a strong storm could bring substantial destruction anywhere, but
   this location is at exceptional risk. The landscape is low-lying over a
   very broad area and thus vulnerable to widespread flooding, landslides,
   and other damage from storm surge. Poverty and a civil war mean that
   infrastructure is poor, especially in refugee camps. Kutupalong Refugee
   Camp, located in the Coxs Bazar region, is home to more than a half of
   a million people.

   The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) has issued an
   Overall Red Alert for Tropical Cyclone Mocha. The Alert is for May
   11-14 in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and India. They advise that 2.7 million
   people will be exposed to Category 1 strength winds (75 mph/121 kmh) or
   higher and place Bangladesh at “High” vulnerability. Maximum storm
   surge is expected to be 1.7 meters (5.6 feet). The average elevation of
   Bangladesh has been estimated at about 9 meters (29.5 feet), with most
   of the urban population in lower-lying areas.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 5/11/2023
   Resolutions:  1km (439.3 KB),  500m (3.1 MB),  250m (4.1 MB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-05-12
 
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