The Mizoram government on Friday (November 17) issued an alert following a heavy rain in the northeastern state as a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm. Cyclone 'Midhili' will cross the Bangladesh coast on Friday night or in the early hours of November 18. Mizoram shares a 318-km-long border with Bangladesh. State capital Aizawl witnessed heavy downpour, besides other parts of the state on Friday affecting normal life.
People stayed indoors, making the streets of Aizawl look deserted with only a few vehicles seen on roads.
District administrations and district disaster management authorities in notices asked people to be alert and take precautionary measures against any eventuality that can be caused due to the rain. The state is likely to experience heavy rainfall till Saturday.
The IMD forecast 51 mm of rain between the mornings of November 17 and 18 in Aizawl district.
There are forecasts of heavy rain also in districts such as Champhai (52 mm), Kolasib (58 mm), Lawngtlai (52 mm) and Mamit (56 mm).
The cyclonic storm will be moving past the Sunderbans before making landfall on the Bangladesh coast with a maximum wind speed of 80 kmph during Friday night or early morning of Saturday morning, it said.
(With PTI inputs)
