Moderate to heavy rainfall was reported across several districts of West Bengal on Thursday morning as the severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' approached the coast of West Bengal and neighboring Odisha, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday, with wind speeds reaching up to 120 kilometers per hour.
At 2:30 AM, the IMD reported that the weather system was located 280 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha) and 370 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal). The cyclonic storm is expected to bring heavy rainfall to several districts in South Bengal, including Kolkata.
The Met Department has advised fishermen against venturing into the sea, noting that gale-force winds with speeds of 90-100 km/h, gusting up to 110 km/h, are currently affecting the northwest Bay of Bengal. They also warned that wind speeds in the area are likely to gradually increase to 100-110 km/h, with gusts reaching 120 km/h, until Friday morning, after which a decrease is expected.
Also Read| Cyclone Dana: Landfall Expected Between October 24-25 Along Odisha-West Bengal Coast.
Since the early hours of Thursday, the coastal districts of Bengal have been experiencing moderate to heavy rain along with gusty winds, while Kolkata has awoken to an overcast sky and intermittent showers.
The latest bulletin warns of heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy downpours expected in isolated areas across several South Bengal districts, including North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly, on Thursday and Friday.