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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