More rain in Myanmar but no sign of new cyclone: U.N.

GENEVA (Reuters) - Moderate to strong rains and wind are expected in Myanmar but there is no sign of a new tropical cyclone forming in the Bay of Bengal region, the United Nations weather agency said on Wednesday.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said it expected substantial rainfall, strengthening winds and thunderstorms in Myanmar, which is struggling to recover from a cyclone earlier this month that left 1.5 million people destitute.

"With the monsoon season approaching, this type of weather will continue and periods of intensive rainfall will become more frequent," the WMO said in a statement released in Geneva.

"There is no indication of a tropical cyclone forming in the region."

The International Federation of the Red Cross said the added rainfall "could represent the worst scenario imaginable" if saturated soil leads to more serious floods.

"This could force people to leave areas that they thought were safe in search of new dry land, which could complicate the relief efforts already under way," said Peter Rees, head of the humanitarian agency's operations support in Geneva.

(Reporting by Laura MacInnis; Editing by Elizabeth Piper)