The well-marked low over the Southeast Bay and adjoining South Andaman Sea moved slightly north-westward and intensified into a depression.
It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-westerly direction, said a Met office bulletin yesterday.
The maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra have been advised to hoist distant cautionary signal number one.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 44km of the depression centre is about 40kmph, rising to 50kmph in gusts.
However, the sea will remain moderate near the depression centre, UNB reports.
The Met office predicted that rain or thundershowers accompanied by intense lightning flashes and temporary gusty or squally winds are likely to occur at a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions and in one or two places over Dhaka and Chattogram divisions.
Elsewhere over the country, the weather could remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy skies.
All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to come close to the coast, proceed with caution and not venture in the deep sea.
Meanwhile, the office of the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC) in a statement said Rohingya refugees who are living perilously in camps on hills prone to landslides should be moved to safety immediately with the help of authorities concerned
It also asked officials to set up control room at each camp, take preparations formation of mobile teams that can provide emergency medical and food services, reports our Cox’s Bazar correspondent.
Our correspondent in Patuakhali reports that the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) has instructed Boro farmers of the district to harvest paddy as soon as possible.
However, the farmers are worried about paddy that has not yet ripened well.
AKM Mohiuddin, deputy director of the Patuakhali DAE, said Boro farmers have been instructed to harvest paddy due to the low pressure in the Bay.
The authorities gave the instruction to farmers through loudspeakers in certain areas.
Abdur Rahim Khan, a farmer from Sharikkhali village of Patuakhali Sadar upazila, said he has planted Boro on 16 acres of land this year.
Paddy is now being harvested on the advice of the DAE but it would have been better to harvest after a couple of weeks, he said.
According to the Patuakhali DAE, Boro cultivation has been done in 18,960 hectares of land in 6 upazilas of Patuakhali district this year, with a target of 74,512 tonnes of boro paddy production.
On Thursday, State Minister for disaster management and relief Md Enamur Rahman said the government was taking necessary preparations as cyclone “Ashani” was likely to hit the Bangladesh coast.
Cyclone ‘Ashani’ may hit Satkhira district after hitting northeast India’s Odisha and West Bengal, the state minister told reporters after a meeting on cyclone preparedness at the Secretariat.
