YANGON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar has raised its cyclone alert to its highest level for seven townships in the western state of Rakhine as cyclone Mocha is nearer, local authorities said.

Cyclone Mocha is forecast to hit the townships in Rakhine state on Sunday at a speed of up to 110 mph and a storm surge of up to 16 feet (about 1.83 meters), the country's weather bureau said.

Cyclone Mocha, which is the first to form in the Bay of Bengal this year, is forecast to be the strongest to hit Myanmar in more than a decade, forecasters said.

"People from villages along rivers and creeks were already asked to move to the nearest cyclone shelters or safe places," U Hla Thein, spokesperson for Rakhine state government, told Xinhua.

Myanmar's weather bureau also urged people in hilly areas to be aware of heavy rain and landslides and people in coastal areas to be aware of storm surge.

Local residents said that Cyclone Mocha has forced flight cancellations, the suspension of some business operations and the evacuation of residents of high-risk areas in Rakhine state.

"Because of a very hot weather in the previous days, I have planned to make a vacation to a beach during this weekend. Now, I postponed it for next weekend due to the storm," a resident in Yangon told Xinhua on Friday.

Residents of Rakhine state said that they were aware that a cyclonic storm will hit the Bangladesh-Myanmar coasts, adding that they remained indifferent as they get used to the storms.

"We are now stocking up food and water to face the cyclone," Myo Myint Tun, a resident from a village in the red-alert area of Myebon township, told Xinhua. "People from villages in high-risk areas were evacuated to safer places," he said.

Aung Su Paing, a 30-year-old resident of Maungtaw township, also said that they just stocked up food, water and medicines to face the cyclone.

Local authorities and emergency rescue teams have evacuated vulnerable residents of high-risk areas to cyclone shelters or safe places, he said.

According to the country's national disaster management committee, there are 57 cyclone shelters in 17 townships of Rakhine state.

The committee has deployed 10 teams and 112 vehicles loading with food, drinking water and rescue equipment in Rakhine state, and its nearest regions and states to deal with any emergency, state media reported.

"The government was making awareness. People from high-risk areas were also evacuated to safe places like cyclone shelters and monasteries," Aye Maung, an official in Rakhine state, told Xinhua.

Unlike people in Ayeyarwady region, the region hit hard by Myanmar's deadliest Cyclone Nargis in 2008, people in Rakhine state get used to storms as they have experienced many storms in the past, he said.

Despite not being included in the areas that were put on red alert, some people in Labutta township in Ayeyarwady region already moved to cyclone shelters or safe places, local residents said.

"Because of their trauma suffered from cyclone Nargis, some people are worried about cyclone Mocha and want to stay in safe places during the storm," Zaw Phyo, a resident in Myaungmya township, told Xinhua.

Most people can now read the news on internet, and they knew that the cyclone will not directly hit Ayeyarwady region. But, some have evacuated their vulnerable family members to cyclone shelters or monasteries, he said.

Ferry boats running in Bogale and Labutta townships, which were hit hard by cyclone Nargis, have been suspended since May 9 until Cyclone Mocha is over, local residents said.

Cyclone Mocha is going to come after towns in Myanmar have experienced record-high temperatures amid a scorching heatwave in the past few days.

"I feel sorry for the people in townships in Rakhine that will be hit hard by Cyclone Mocha. Meanwhile, we now get relieved from sweltering temperature," Aung Aung, a 29-year-old resident in Yangon, said.

It's now raining in nearly all parts of the Southeast Asian country because of the cyclone Mocha, according to the country's weather agency. Enditem

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