Cyclone Dana has moved from the Bay of Bengal and entered India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that Cyclone Dana is expected to move northwestward and make landfall along the coasts of north Odisha and West Bengal, between Puri and Sagar Island, close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara, during the midnight of October 24 to the morning of October 25, 2024.
In preparation for the severe cyclonic storm, over 3.5 lakh people have been evacuated in Odisha, and around 2.4 lakh in West Bengal as of Thursday. The storm is forecasted to make landfall with wind speeds of up to 120 km/h, bringing heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and turbulent sea conditions to both states. Authorities are working urgently to shift people to relief centers. According to the IMD's latest bulletin at 5:30 PM, Cyclone Dana moved north-northwestward at a speed of 13 km/h over the past six hours and is currently centered about 90 km southeast of Paradip, 110 km south-southeast of Dhamara, and 210 km south of Sagar Island.
The landfall is expected to occur between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port, both located in Odisha. On Thursday and Friday, districts in Bengal, including North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly, are predicted to experience extremely heavy to very heavy rain. Flight operations at Kolkata airport were suspended from 6 PM on Thursday to 9 AM on Friday, while Bhubaneswar airport is also closed from 5 PM today until 9 AM on Friday. Additionally, over 400 trains running through the two neighboring states have been canceled in light of the cyclone.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has engaged with Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi regarding the state's cyclone preparedness, focusing on evacuation efforts and the deployment of response teams. In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reported the successful evacuation of over 243,000 people to relief camps and announced a continuous presence at the state secretariat during the cyclone threat. Odisha has designated several districts as high-risk zones and mobilized significant resources, including the Indian Navy for humanitarian aid. The NDRF has activated teams across multiple states to ensure public safety, while transportation disruptions have led to the cancellation of numerous trains. Authorities emphasize the importance of following evacuation orders and maintaining calm amid the emergency preparations.