Cox's Bazaar: Even as the Cyclone Fani is expected to hit the southwestern parts of Bangladesh by late Friday, officials have confirmed that all necessary preparations have been made to brace the storm.
Earlier in the day, Fani tore through India's eastern coast on Friday as a grade 5 storm, lashing beaches with rain and wind gusting up to 205 kilometres per hour and affecting weather as far away as Mount Everest.
In Bangladesh, local authorities had build 538 shelter centres, halted all the activities at Chittagong seaport and have already warned the people living at the refugee camps near the coastal district of Cox's Bazaar.
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority said it suspended operations of all vessels.
According to the IMD report, the cyclone is expected to weaken as it moved north-northeast toward the Indian state of West Bengal and neighbouring Bangladesh.
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