Dhaka, April 29 (IANS) A cyclonic storm called Nargis is brewing over the Bay of Bengal and may hit the India-Bangladesh coast in the next four to five days, the meteorological office here has warned. The cyclone formed over the southern part of the Bay is likely to intensify further and move in a northerly direction and cross the coast, according to a bulletin issued by the weather office here.

It said the storm was centred about 1,220 km southwest of Chittagong port, 1,150 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar port and 1,100 km south-southwest of Mongla port at 6:00 p.m. Monday.

Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 km of the storm centre was about 62 kmph, rising to 88 kmph in gusts or squalls.

Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar and Mongla ports have been advised to hoist Distant Warning Signal Number Two, New Age newspaper said Tuesday.

“The sea will remain rough over north Bay and very rough near the cyclone,” United News of Bangladesh (UNB) news agency reported.

The meteorological department has sent a note of warning to the Department of Agriculture Extension, asking it to advance the harvest of the standing paddy crop, which farmers have been looking forward to following the destruction of last monsoon’s crop by floods and Cyclone Sidr.

Super-cyclone Sidr hit Bangladesh coast Nov 15, 2007, killing over 3,000 people and destroying about a million hectares of cultivable land.

Despite international help and import of 500,000 tonnes of rice from India, Bangladesh is still battling food shortage caused by Sidr.