Wind's Whisper

𝙷𝙴𝙰𝚃 𝚆𝙰𝚅𝙴

A heat wave, also known as a heatwave or intense heat, is a period of abnormally hot weather that may be accompanied by significant humidity, particularly in oceanic climate countries. While definitions differ, a heat wave is typically defined in relation to the area's regular climate and normal temperatures for the season. Temperatures that people from hotter climates consider usual can be referred to as a heat wave in a cooler place if they fall outside of that area's normal climate pattern.

The word refers to both hot weather variations and extreme hot weather episodes that may occur just once every century. Severe heat waves have resulted in catastrophic crop failures, thousands of deaths from hyperthermia, increased wildfire risk in drought-stricken areas, and extensive power outages as a result of increased use of air conditioning. A heat wave is classified as extreme weather and is hazardous to human health because heat and sunlight overwhelm the human body's cooling system. Heat waves are frequently detectable with forecasting tools, allowing a warning to be sent.

Heatwaves frequently have complicated consequences on human economies, resulting in lower worker productivity, disruption of agricultural and industrial processes, and damage to infrastructure that is not designed for intense heat.

Extreme release of Greenhouse gases leds to increase in temperature causing people to sweat and getting dehydration. People aren't able to stand the heat and fainting.

Arindam Basu

𝐂𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐬 ‘𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’ 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐫

According to OCHA, communities in the area spent the day cleaning up and calculating the cost of the storm, which was categorised as Extremely Severe when it smashed into Myanmar's western states and regions on Sunday, with gusts of up to 250km/h - and continued to lash some areas the next day with heavy rain.

Before the storm made landfall north of Sittwe, authorities and humanitarian relief organisations planned a huge evacuation plan.

𝐒𝐢𝐱 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝
Humanitarian needs in Rakhine state and northwest Myanmar were already critical before the cyclone hit, with about six million people in need of humanitarian aid as a result of years of fighting and displacement, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya people are currently living in makeshift shelters, with their movements restricted by the military regime, which classified Rakhine as a disaster zone in the aftermath of Mocha.

According to initial accounts, the worst of the cyclone missed the large Rohingya refugee camp complex of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh, which is home to approximately one million predominantly Rohingya refugees, the majority of whom fled persecution and violence in Rakhine in the summer of 2017.

𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝
However, news reports suggested that, while the situation was not as severe as expected, numerous Rohingya were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced in Myanmar.

According to OCHA, there was significant devastation throughout Sittwe, with few houses remaining standing. Many of the fragile bamboo longhouses in refugee camps were destroyed.

"Communications with teams on the ground are still limited, but early reports indicate that the damage is significant, particularly in Rakhine, and that needs across all communities will be high," according to the OCHA situation report issued on Monday.

"Extremely strong winds downed power lines, uprooted trees, and damaged or destroyed homes." Storm surge damaged bridges and flooded homes."

Health, relief, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene needs have already been identified, with the added deadly threat of landmines in conflict-affected rural regions, which have shifted due to flooding.

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝
Communications with partners on the ground were largely restored during the day, but remain limited as a result of substantial damage to telecommunications towers, according to OCHA.

Water and power services have been severely disrupted all day, with generators now serving as the primary source of power for the majority of people due to damaged lines.

Humanitarian partners are preparing to begin fast needs assessments in the field on Tuesday in order to ascertain the scale of the cyclone's damage and the immediate assistance that is required.

Early reports also indicate significant floods and needs in the northwest, which is also heavily conflict-affected.

𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝
According to OCHA, an immediate infusion of cash to aid recovery is "desperately needed to facilitate a full-scale response to the cyclone's impact and subsequent flooding." The $764 million Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) is currently just 10% financed.

Some IDPs remain in cyclone shelters near displacement camps, with reports of injuries and medical treatment needs. Those sleeping in temporary shelters, such as schools, need help.

Movement is difficult, and debris removal is underway. During the day, heavy traffic was observed due to a significant number of individuals returning to their Sittwe homes from inland places, as well as debris on the roads.

𝐑𝐨𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐲𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝
According to news estimates, over 3,000 Rohingya shelters were damaged or destroyed during the passage of Mocha. The country's refugee commissioner claimed that 32 learning institutes and 29 mosques had been damaged.

At least 5,300 migrants were allegedly transferred to more secure sites in the refugee camps where 120 landslides were reported, while the Bangladeshi government estimated over 250,000 people needed food and shelter in the region overall by Sunday night.

Authorities in Bangladesh evacuated approximately 750,000 people in advance of the storm.

Arindam Basu