Tropical Cyclone Nargis Will Strike Myanmar

Tropical Cyclone Nargis is now expected to make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane in Myanmar, formerly Burma.

Photo: Joint Typhoon Warning Center

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It is now much less likely that Tropical Cyclone Nargis will reach Category 4 strength in the Bay of Bengal before striking Myanmar, according to the latest forecast from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center.

The storm already weakened from a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale to a tropical storm. It is, however, expected to regain strength and strike Myanmar, formerly Burma, as a Category 2 hurricane with sustained 97 mph.

The cyclone is no longer expected to approach Bangladesh, where last year Cyclone Sidr struck with such force that thousands died, the nation's rice crop was decimated, and millions were evacuated.

A Category 2 hurricane is nothing to sneeze at, of course, but "major" hurricanes are considered those that reach Category 3 strength or higher.

The decline of the storm is evident in satellite imagery from Tuesday (top) and Wednesday (bottom).

Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Tropical Cyclone Nargis is, as of Tuesday, a tropical storm on its way to a Category 2 landfall in Myanmar.

Joint Typhoon Warning Center
Tropical Cyclone Nargis was a Category 1 hurricane on its way to a Category 4 landfall Monday.

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