Bangladesh warns of storm in Bay of Bengal

DHAKA, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Bangladesh advised ports to hoist warning signals and asked all vessels to stay in shelters or close to shore as a tropical storm in the Bay of Bengal moved towards its coasts, officials said on Sunday.

The storm has driven strong winds and rain over the country since Friday, and could last a few more days, the meteorological department said.

Two people were killed when a tree uprooted by the wind fell on them at a village in Chandpur district 170 km (106 miles) southeast of the capital Dhaka on Sunday.

The meteorological department said at 0600 GMT on Sunday, the storm was about 635 km (400 miles) southwest of Chittagong.

It was expected to intensify and move in a north or northeasterly direction to make landfall between Barishal and Khulna by Monday afternoon.

The storm was likely to sweep the coasts with a tidal surge of up to two metres above normal levels, the met office said.

Storms batter the poor south Asian country every year. Cyclone Sidr ravaged the coasts last November, killing nearly 3,500 people and displacing some two million.