Cyclone Dana, which intensified into a severe cyclonic storm late Wednesday night, is currently moving north-northwestward over the Bay of Bengal. With sustained wind speeds reaching 100-110 kmph and gusts up to 120 kmph, Dana is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in northern Odisha. The landfall is projected to occur between midnight of October 24 and the early hours of October 25.
The cyclone’s center is currently located approximately 260 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 350 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal. In the past six hours, the storm has been advancing at a speed of 12 kmph, with its path threatening parts of both Odisha and West Bengal.
To mitigate the potential impact, Odisha has launched extensive evacuation measures. By Wednesday evening, over 3 lakh residents had been relocated from vulnerable coastal and low-lying regions to cyclone shelters. Officials are working around the clock to ensure safety ahead of Dana’s expected landfall, which could bring with it heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and severe storm surges.
A red warning has been issued for several districts in Odisha, including Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Cuttack, which are expected to face the brunt of the cyclone’s impact. These areas are likely to experience intense rainfall and destructive winds. An orange alert has been issued for districts such as Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, and Dhenkanal, indicating potential damage, while a yellow warning covers Sundargarh, Deogarh, Angul, Boudh, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Jharsuguda, and Sambalpur, which may experience less severe but still significant weather effects.
In Bhadrak district, the local administration has been proactive in moving people to safer areas. Bhadrak Collector Dilip Routrai stated, “We are evacuating people from vulnerable areas. Some are leaving voluntarily, while others are being assisted by the police as they are reluctant to leave their homes.”
Meanwhile, aviation authorities in both Odisha and West Bengal are preparing for the cyclone’s disruption. Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar will halt operations from 5 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday. In Kolkata, the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport will suspend flights for 15 hours, starting at 6 pm on Thursday. This closure is expected to affect around 30,000 passengers and lead to the cancellation of 208 flight movements.
As Cyclone Dana approaches, both state governments are urging citizens to remain indoors and take necessary precautions to protect themselves from the storm’s potential devastation. Rescue teams and disaster response units have been deployed across vulnerable areas to ensure a swift and effective response.
