Severe Cyclonic Storm Mora is a currently active, but weakening tropical cyclone threatening Bangladesh.
Under the influence of a persistent area of convection, a low pressure area formed over southeast Bay of Bengal on 26 May. It rapidly strengthened on 28 May with the IMD classifying it as a Depression and subsequently into a Deep Depression on the same day, designating it BOB 02.
In the early hours of 29 May, the IMD reported the storm to have reached Cyclonic storm intensity, naming it Mora. ‘Mora’ is a Thai word. The word meaning ‘star of the sea’ Bangla is the ‘sea star’.
Six cyclone names are scheduled to be named in the meeting of the ESCAP and WMO cyclone specialist panel in Thailand in January this year.
The first cyclone hit the coast of India on 17th April, in poor condition. The next cyclone was named Mora.
The precursor low of Mora strengthened the arrival of monsoon, causing heavy flooding in Sri Lanka and the Andaman Islands. At least 180 fatalities have been reported so far.