Cyclone Dana To Make Landfall In Odisha And West Bengal Tonight: All You Need To Know

Image: ANI

Cyclone Dana is set to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha on Friday, bringing heavy rainfall and high-speed winds up to 120 kmph. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued warnings for several states, particularly Odisha, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, as they brace for the impact of the severe cyclonic storm.

Nearly 1.5 million people in India's eastern states of Odisha (formerly Orissa) and West Bengal are being evacuated as a cyclone approaches. Thousands of relief workers have been deployed to mitigate the effects of Cyclone Dana, which is expected to make landfall within the next 24 hours. Many trains and flights have already been cancelled, affecting transport services.

According to India's weather department, a depression in the Bay of Bengal is expected to develop into a severe cyclonic storm by Thursday evening. More than a million people have been evacuated from 14 districts in Odisha, and over 300,000 people have been evacuated from coastal areas in West Bengal. Rescue teams and officials from both states are on alert. 

Here are all the statewise latest developments:

Odisha 

Odisha has been at the forefront of preparations, with over 10 lakh people being evacuated from high-risk coastal areas. Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts have been marked as high-risk zones, likely to experience extremely heavy rainfall and wind speeds of 100-120 kmph. The IMD also predicts a tidal surge of up to 2 meters in these districts. Government officials confirmed that over 30% of the evacuations were completed by Wednesday evening, with the remaining to be moved to safety before landfall. Odisha is fully prepared, with over 288 rescue teams deployed, and all marine activities, including fishing, have been halted until the storm subsides.

West Bengal

In West Bengal, several districts, including South 24 Parganas, Howrah, and Kolkata, have experienced moderate to heavy rainfall, with gusty winds. As a precaution, the Kolkata airport has suspended flight operations, and the Indian Coast Guard is on high alert. Over 170 express and passenger trains have been canceled, and ferry services in the Sunderbans and across the Hooghly River are suspended. Kolkata’s local train services from Sealdah have also been halted. Officials anticipate flooding in low-lying areas, and the NDRF has deployed teams across South Bengal.

Jharkhand

Jharkhand is likely to experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from Thursday night, with the Kolhan region under an 'orange' alert for Friday. Areas such as West Singhbhum and East Singhbhum may witness severe rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. NDRF teams have been deployed in Jamshedpur, and emergency response units are on standby.

As Cyclone Dana approaches, residents are urged to stay indoors, avoid unnecessary travel, and heed all warnings issued by authorities. The IMD has forecast the landfall process to take around 5-6 hours, with peak wind speeds and rainfall expected between Thursday night and Friday morning.