Cyclone Dana Hits Odisha, Torrential Rain Batters Coastal Districts

GUWAHATI: Dana's cyclonic storm slammed into Odisha's coastal districts late Thursday night, carrying heavy rain and wind speeds over 110 km/h. It has already started affecting other parts of West Bengal with strong winds and downpours.

The India Meteorological Department said it made landfall after midnight. The process is expected to last till early Friday morning.

It is about 20 km north of the Dhamara district and moving westwards within Odisha, weakening into a regular cyclone by midday. The officials asserted that the severe cyclone would not enter West Bengal.

Several areas like Vansaba, Bhadrak, and Dhamra underwent damage due to the strong winds and heavy rains. There are numerous reports about the uprooted trees and buildings due to the storm.

Schools and other institutions will remain closed on Friday in the wake of Cyclone Dana which is likely to impact Odisha and West Bengal. This has been asked by the Met office. On the day, some schools in Jharkhand would also be closed.

Flight operations at Kolkata Airport remained suspended from Thursday at 6 pm to Friday at 9 am, and Bhubaneswar Airport was closed from 5 pm on Thursday to 9 am on Friday. Over 400 trains passing through the two states have been canceled due to the cyclone.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi was personally keeping track of the situation from the State Emergency Control Room in Bhubaneswar ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Dana along the coast. "State ministers and officials are on the ground and seeing that everything is in place," the chief minister said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the Chief Minister of Odisha over the phone last night to inquire about the preparations underway in the state for the cyclone. PM Modi assured all-round support from the central government to help Odisha tackle the storm and any potential aftermath it may cause.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was keeping a close vigil on the situation from the State Government Control Room in Howrah, even hours after Cyclone Dana made landfall.

Government reports indicate that a total of 5.84 lakh people in Odisha have been evacuated as a precautionary measure to avoid casualties during the cyclone. In West Bengal, nearly 3.5 lakh people were earmarked for evacuation from the low-lying areas alone, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said.

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