Cyclone Dana to hit Odisha and Bengal, heavy rain expected

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

1. Cyclone Warning: Cyclone Dana to bring heavy rain and strong winds in Odisha and Bengal on October 24-25.
2. Preparations & Alerts: Schools in Odisha closed, evacuation underway in affected areas.
3. Landfall Predictions: Expected landfall in Odisha’s Puri and West Bengal’s Sagar Island on Thursday night or Friday morning.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

Cyclone Dana is expected to bring extremely heavy rainfall to Odisha and West Bengal on October 24 and 25. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that the low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal will intensify into a severe cyclonic storm, with landfall likely in Odisha’s Puri and West Bengal’s Sagar Island late Thursday night or early Friday morning. Wind speeds may reach 100 to 110 kmph, gusting up to 120 kmph.

Due to the storm’s intensity, IMD has advised fishermen in coastal areas of both states to avoid venturing into the sea from Wednesday through Friday. A red alert has been issued for Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, and Jagatsinghpur districts in Odisha, predicting heavy to extremely heavy rainfall. Similarly, heavy rains are forecasted for East and West Medinipur and North and South 24 Parganas in West Bengal.

In preparation, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner D.K. Singh has ordered schools to close in 14 districts from Wednesday to Friday. These districts include Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Angul, Khordha, Nayagarh, and Cuttack.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has instructed officials to ensure the evacuation of people from the areas most likely to be affected by the cyclone. He also directed authorities to stock enough food, water, and other essentials in cyclone shelters. The state government is fully prepared, with a target of ‘zero casualties’ during the storm.

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