The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is likely to be shut down for several hours as crosswinds caused by Cyclone Dana struck Kolkata city on Wednesday, October 23. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted crosswinds at 50-70 kmph and rainfall between 70 mm and 200 mm in the Dum Dum area from October 24 afternoon until October 25 morning.
According to the official of Kolkata International Airport, crosswinds above 70kmph are dangerous for flights. The city airport's two parallel runways stretch in north and south direction. “The winds from the Bay of Bengal are supposed to blow from east to west. Which means flights would face crosswinds while landing and taking off,” quoted The Telegraph saying an airport official.
A review will be held again at 12.30 pm today (October 23), and the decision on whether to shut down the airport will be made in the review meeting with airport officials. “Any decision on closing the airport will depend on the speed of the crosswinds,” the official said.
IMD, in its latest bulletin, issued an alert and orange message for Odisha and West Bengal as the severe cyclonic storm “DANA”, pronounced as Dana, over the East-central Bay of Bengal, moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 mph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 8.30 am IST today.
"Over the same region near latitude 16.5° N and longitude 89.6°E, about 520 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 600 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 610 km south-southeast of Khepupara (Bangladesh)," IMD said.
"It is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by the early morning of 24th and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika-Dhamra (Odisha) during the 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," IMD said in its latest bulletin.
IMD Senior scientist Umashankar Das said, "The deep depression has intensified further into cyclone storm today at 5.30 am. It is moving in the northwest direction with a speed of 15km/hour. It is 520 km south-east of Paradeep... We are anticipating that it may further intensify into a severe cyclone storm by the morning of October 24. It is likely to cross North Odisha and West Bengal... the time of landfall is anticipated to be 24th midnight to the early morning of October 25 and the anticipated speed is 100-110 km/hour and gusting of 220km/hour... Rainfall of 7-20 cm may occur... A red warning has been issued for October 24 and 25... Fishermen are advised not to venture till October 25th."