Authorities in Odisha are urgently working to evacuate around 10 lakh people from coastal districts ahead of Cyclone Dana’s expected landfall tonight. The cyclone has intensified into a severe storm, with winds expected to reach up to 120 kmph. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as of this morning, the cyclone was positioned 350 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 290 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha), with landfall anticipated between Dhamra port and Bhitarkanika National Park.
The IMD forecasts heavy to extremely heavy rainfall in West Bengal on Thursday and Friday, particularly affecting districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly. As a precaution, Bhubaneswar airport will suspend flight operations from 5 p.m. today until Friday morning, while Kolkata airport will halt operations from 6 p.m. today until 9 a.m. tomorrow. Over 200 trains have also been canceled across Odisha and West Bengal.
In response to the impending cyclone, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed in both Odisha and West Bengal, with additional support from the Army, Navy, and Indian Coast Guard. Nearly 400 trains have been canceled across the two states to ensure safety, while local train services in West Bengal’s Sealdah division will be suspended between Thursday evening and Friday morning.
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