A special Met office bulletin said ‘Mahasen’ was located over the north and west central bay, moving north by northeast, centred at 6:00am about 435 kilometres southwest of Chittagong port, 385 kilometres south-west of Cox’s Bazar port and 320 kilometres south of Mongla port.
It may cross the Chittagong/Cox’s Bazar coast by noon, the bulletin said.
The maximum sustained wind speed within the 54 kilometres of the storm centre is about 62 kilometres per hour rising to 90 kilometres per hour, it said, adding the sea was very rough at the storm centre.
More than 100 huts had collapsed at Patuakhali as windspeeds began to rise to upto 90kms per hour . The sea was beginning to swell, inundating low lying areas of the coastal districts.
But nearly one million people inhabiting the low lying coastal areas have already been moved to safer places.
Danger signal ‘7’ remains hoisted at Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar ports, but at Mongla, danger signal “5” remains in place.
Met office director Shah Alam told bdnews24.com that ‘Mahasen’ was advancing towards the coast at 20 kilometres per hour.
“We had anticipated that the cyclone will pick up speed as it approaches the coast. But that has not happened. We now expect the cyclone to make a landfall at anytime after noon,” Alam said.
But weathermen say it may not be right to conclude that the cyclone was weakening.
Shah Alam said windspeeds may rise to 100 kilometres per hour when ‘Mahasen’ makes its landfall and tidal waves 8-10 feet high may lash the coast.
“The cyclone will strike between Khepupara and Teknaf. Windspeeds will rise at that time,” Shah Alam said.
The coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Bhola, Borguna, Patuakhali, Barisal and their offshore islands and chars will come under danger signal number seven.
Maritime port of Mongla has been advised to keep hoisted danger signal number five.
The coastal districts of Pirozpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars will come under danger signal number five.
Under the influence of the storm the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barisal, Pirojpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by storm surge of 8-10 feet height above normal tide.
Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Barisal, Bhola, Pirojpur, and their offshore islands and shoals are likely to experience wind speed up to 90-100 kph in gusts/ squalls.
Jhalokathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and the islands and chars are likely to experience wind speed up to 80-90 kph in gusts/ squalls.
Due to very heavy rainfall, landslide may occur at places over the hilly regions of Chittagong division.
All fishing boats, trawlers and marine vessels over North Bay have been advised to remain in shelter until further notice.
Massive preparations have been taken in villages, unions and Upazilas of the coastal belts to tackle the cyclone. The people of the coastline started running for safety amid an escalating panic as the Met Office issued overnight Danger Signal No 7.
Met Office Director Shah Alam Bhuiyan said that the transitional speed of Mahasen was 20 kilometres per hour. "The speed may rise after it comes closer to the coastline. If the cyclone approaches this way, heavy downpour and tide may occur in the coastal areas of Cox's Bazar, Chittagong and the adjourning areas."
The storm has already killed at least seven people and displaced 3,881 in Sri Lanka, its Disaster Management Center said on Tuesday.
A boat carrying about 100 Rohingya Muslims capsized off western Myanmar with some 50 feared drowned at the start of a mass evacuation from low-lying regions ahead of the approaching storm.
An UN agency warning says that more than 8 million people of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar were in danger of being hit by the storm.
The authorities of Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong Port and Cox's Bazar Airport shut down operations on Wednesday.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) grounded vessels and ferries on 38 long routes of the southern part until further notice.
All factories at the Chittagong Export Processing Zone (EPZ) were closed down until the storm wears off, Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA) General Manager Abdur Rashid told bdnews24.com.
SM Abdul Kader, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, who is working as the Convener of the Cyclone Preparatory Committee, said: "We've already started evacuating the people living in the risky areas of Sandwip and Banshkhali. We've been informed by the district administrations that the residents of the low-lying coastal areas in Patuakhali, Cox's Bazar and Noakhali districts are being moved to safety."