DHAKA, Nov 14 (Reuters) – The Met office Wednesday evening sounded great danger signal No. 10 for Mongla port and great danger signal 9 for Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar as a severe storm in the Bay of Bengal was expected to make landfall Thursday.

The weather warning left at least 100 tourists trapped on the St Martin’s Island as ships and country boats were ordered off the sea. The Chittagong Port Authority suspended operations.

“We have suspended loading and unloading of cargo on the mother vessels at the outer anchorage as the sea has turned turbulent,” a port official said.

Thousands of coastguards, police, army and volunteers were on standby to undertake emergency rescue and relief operation once the storm made landfall.

In a midnight bulletin, the Met office said the storm was 705 miles off Chittagong, 625 miles off Cox’s Bazar and 650 miles off Mongla.

Bangladesh’s main tourist resort, Cox’s Bazar, wore a deserted look on Wednesday and hotels were largely empty, officials and witnesses said.

Residents had packed food and other essentials in case they needed to evacuate, a Reuters journalist in Cox’s Bazar said.

High waves were had begun slamming the shore, he said.

The storm is likely to intensify further and move in a northerly direction and may cross Khulna-Barisal coast by Thursday noon, the weather office said in the latest advisory.

The maximum sustained wind speed within 74km of the storm centre is about 190kph rising to 210kph in gusts or squalls.

“The sea will remain very high,” the weathercast said.

Under the influence of the storm, the coastal districts of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong, Noakhali, Luxmipur, Bhola, Barisal, Patuakhali, Borguna, Chandpur, Pirozpur, Jhalakathi, Bagerhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore are likely to experience gusty or squally winds speed 60-80kph or more. The areas are likely to be inundated by a storm surge of 8-10 feet above normal astronomical tide.

Indian officials said Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, should expect to be hit by “squally winds and heavy rainfall". The neighbouring state of Orissa would also be affected.

The food and disaster management ministry has opened a control room to provide round-the-clock information about the hurricane and maintain communications. Call the control room on 7160454, 7162116 and 7164115.