Myanmar Facing Risk of Another Big Storm

May 9, 2008 -- Myanmar could suffer another major storm this season even as it braces for more bad weather after the devastating impact of Cyclone Nargis, a UN weather expert warned Friday.

"It's not rare if they have another (cyclone)," said Yuichi Ono, a program officer for the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR).

The Bay of Bengal generally sees two cyclone 'peaks' either side of the monsoon season which is likely to start by the end of May, Ono said.

An estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless in Myanmar by the disaster, which has killed tens of thousands and left the country's infrastructure in tatters.

The impact of any further cyclone would be much more devastating and even if early warnings were issued, it is not clear where people could go amid the devastation, Ono said.

"But they shouldn't be in low-lying areas or stay in destroyed houses," he added.