Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson of the State Administration Council, has said that according to weather forecasts, there are two routes the storm may enters the coastal of region of Myanmar—the one between Yangon and Ayeyawady regions and the other between Sittway and Kyaukpyu townships in Rakhine State, the Ministry of Information reported.
“Regarding storm situation, Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing himself is keeping a watchful eye on it. According to the forecast of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Global Forecast System (GFS) and the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology of Myanmar, a low pressure area may form in the Bay of Bangle on May 8. Then, it may change to a depression on May 9 and move northwards. The GFS forecast is that the storm may pass through near Yangon and Ayeyawady Region just after 6 pm on May 12. According to ECMWF, the storm may pass through the place between Sittway and Kyaukphyu in Rakhine State 12 noon on May 14. According to Myanmar’s DMH GFS, the storm may pass through Sittway in Rakhine State on the morning of May 15. Reviewing them, there are two ways the storm may enter. The first one is an inland storm that may enter between Pyapon and Kungyangon townships of Yangon Region and the second one is between Sittway and Kyaukpyu townships in Rakhine State,” said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun.
These are just weather forecasts, and the exact way can be known when the storm emerges from the depression. It is expected to occur on 13 and 14 May in Myanmar, and the DMH will release information on a timely basis, he added.
“We will release prompt information about everything. For example, yellow stage means the storm starts in the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea. Orange stage means it is heading towards the Myanmar coast, yellow stage means it is nearing the coastal area, brown stage means it is passing through the coastal area and green stage means it is weakening and entering the inland. Now it is just a low pressure area, not even a depression. There are all forecasts. But we cannot be careless. DMH is releasing information through State-owned media such as MRTB, Myawady TV and Radio FM. Moreover, the Ministry of Transport and Communications is issuing SMS alerts to mobile phones via telecom operators, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said.
