Threatening the Bengal-Odisha coast, Cyclone Dana has surged to the region, with  landfall expected between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in northern Odisha, approximately 350 km from Kolkata. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has informed that they are trying to create awareness among locals in several districts of Odisha including Mahakalpada and Kendrapara about the Cyclone Dana.

In a statement, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the severe cyclonic storm “DANA” over northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, October 24, over the same region, near latitude 19.2° N and longitude 87.9°E, about 180 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 210 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 270 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

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“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during mid-night of 24th to morning of 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph,” the weather forecasting agency wrote in an X post.

The severe cyclonic storm “DANA” (pronounced as Dana) over northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, the 24th October, over the same region, near latitude 19.2° N and longitude 87.9°E,… pic.twitter.com/uZAUjqEiRX

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 24, 2024

The landfall will be between Puri and Sagardeep near Bhitarkarnika and Dhamra, and the wind speed during the phenomenon is expected to be 100-120 kmph. As per the forecast, the wind speed will be very high in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Medinipur districts while the downpour will also be heavy. Authorities have started evacuation as heavy downpours started to lash in Odisha with cyclone Dana’s arrival to the coast.  

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting and reviewed the preparedness for severe Cyclone Dana at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. Hospitals and healthcare facilities have also been prepared to tackle the calamity by being alert for any potential casualties. Indian navy is also preparing to conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, in an attempt to minimise the impact by the Cyclone.

Authorities are taking steps to reduce the impacts of the cyclone and has issued warnings. Devotees to the  Jagannath temple in Puri were asked to delay their pilgrimage while speeding up efforts to protect the 12th-century shrine from the potential adverse effect from the cyclone. The weather authority IMD has said it issued warnings of heavy to very heavy rainfall in several Jharkhand districts.

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