India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert today over West Bengal and Odisha due to the cyclone Dana formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal. The IMD said that the severe cyclonic storm will cross the region late tonight or early tomorrow morning with a wind speed of 100 to 120 kilometres per hour.
Extremely heavy rainfall is predicted over parts of West Bengal and Odisha today and tomorrow due to the cyclone. While heavy rainfall is expected over adjoining Jharkhand and north-east India till tomorrow. Similar rainfall conditions will also prevail in South India over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, and Kerala today. The weather agency has forecast no significant rainfall likely over Central, West, and Northwest India during the week.
Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Dana’ Set to Make Landfall on Odisha Coast, High Alert Issued
The severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ is most likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra of the Odisha coast in the late night of tomorrow or early morning of Friday. The wind speed of ‘Dana’ will be 100 to 120 km per hour during the landfall. It is now about 460 km from Paradip and 490 km from Dhamra of Odisha and moving at a speed of 12 km per hour in the Bay of Bengal towards the Odisha coast.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said Kendrapara, Balasore, and Bhadrak districts of Odisha will be badly affected during the landfall of ‘Dana’ as the wind speed in these districts will be about 120 km per hour at that time. The severe cyclonic storm will also affect other coastal and neighbouring districts of the state with wind speeds of 80 to 90 km per hour during the landfall. The Odisha government has put the entire machinery on high alert to tackle the cyclonic storm ‘Dana’.
Rains and strong winds have started in the coastal districts of Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, and Kendrapara since this afternoon under the impact of ‘Dana’, which is heading towards the Odisha coast to make a landfall in the intervening nights of tomorrow and Friday. People living in low-lying areas are being shifted to multipurpose cyclone centers. All schools, colleges, universities, and many government institutions in coastal and neighbouring districts will remain closed till Friday. Leaves of doctors and government employees have been cancelled, while a large number of passenger trains have been cancelled.
Fishermen have been banned from entering the sea. Meanwhile, the IMD has issued a red warning for Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts for tomorrow with high tides in the nearby sea. Danger signal number 10 has been given for Dhamra and Paradip ports, while danger signal number 8 has been given in Gopalpur port of Odisha. Chief Minister of Odisha Mohan Charan Majhi reviewed the preparedness of different departments at Bhubaneswar this evening to tackle the possible damages due to the severe cyclonic storm.