With winds peaking at 152 kilometers per hour, cyclone Giri struck Burma's west Arakan State and is forecast to continue into central Burma until late Saturday.
The cyclone struck land near Kyaukphyu, a large island off Arakan's coast, severing phone links in several parts of the region.
After forming over the Bay of Bengal, Giri developed into a “Category II” cyclone on Friday morning, according to Myanmar Climate Change Watch.
“The periphery of the cyclone hit the Arakan coast this morning, with the eye of the cyclone striking land around 3 p.m today [Friday],” said Tun Lwin of the local weather board.The cyclone was stronger than forecast on Friday morning, he said, and would likely cross Sagaing, Magwe and Mandalay Divisions.
The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center announced earlier that the cyclone is headed in the direction of Mandalay Division and may make landfall with winds of 148 kph.
State-controlled radio and TV broadcast constant warnings advising people to keep away from electricity poles and tall trees and to believe only official reports about the cyclone rather than rumors, said local residents in Rangoon.
In 2008 May, when Nargis, a category IV cyclone, hit the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon, more than 130,000 people were killed and millions of people were left homeless.
The cyclone struck land near Kyaukphyu, a large island off Arakan's coast, severing phone links in several parts of the region.
After forming over the Bay of Bengal, Giri developed into a “Category II” cyclone on Friday morning, according to Myanmar Climate Change Watch.
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| The projected path of Cyclone Giri (Map: US Navy) |
The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center announced earlier that the cyclone is headed in the direction of Mandalay Division and may make landfall with winds of 148 kph.
State-controlled radio and TV broadcast constant warnings advising people to keep away from electricity poles and tall trees and to believe only official reports about the cyclone rather than rumors, said local residents in Rangoon.
In 2008 May, when Nargis, a category IV cyclone, hit the Irrawaddy Delta and Rangoon, more than 130,000 people were killed and millions of people were left homeless.
