Flash floods, landslides warned in Myanmar

Myanmar weather bureau has warned of heavy rainfall, flash floods and landslides across the country in the next two days due to a depression over the Bay of Bengal, an official media reported Tuesday.

In the same period, the northern Sagaing Region, Bago, Yangon and Ayeyawaddy Regions as well as Shan, Chin, Rakhine, Kayin and Mon States were expected to record more than three inches or 38 mm, the Global New Light of Myanmar quoted the Meteorology and Hydrology Department as saying.

Mandalay, Magway and southern Sagaing Region were also forecast to record more than 1.5 inches or 38 mm in the same period, the department said.

The monsoon is moderate to strong in the Andaman Sea and South Bay and vigorous elsewhere in the Bay of Bengal, it said.

The weather bureau, issuing a yellow alert, said the low pressure is not likely to move towards Myanmar.

The weather bureau has urged fishing boats at sea to be alert to the severe weather conditions.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation was closely monitoring its 25 dams across the country.

On Monday, more than 1,300 people in Ayadaw Township, Sagaing Region have evacuated to shelters as floods hit some villages in the township.

According to official sources, more than 5,262 hectares of cultivation farms were destroyed with the highest damaging toll of 4,638 hectares in Sagaing Region.