Cyclone Dana makes landfall on Odisha coast

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' began on Odisha coast on Thursday night and was expected to continue till Friday morning, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore and nearby Jagatsinghpur district witnessed sudden increase in wind speed which reached 100 kmph to 110 kmph and extremely heavy rain.

THE SEVERE CYCLONIC STORM “DANA” (PRONOUNCED AS DANA) MOVED NORTH-NORTHWESTWARDS WITH A SPEED OF 10 KMPH AND LAY CENTRED AT 0530 HRS IST OF TODAY, THE 25TH OCTOBER, OVER NORTH COASTAL ODISHA NEAR LATITUDE 21.00° N AND LONGITUDE 86.85°E, ABOUT 20 KM NORTH-NORTHWEST OF DHAMARA AND… pic.twitter.com/9kXpXmTxUz

— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) October 25, 2024

A revenue department official said reports of trees getting uprooted were also received at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner in Bhubneshwar.However, there was no report of any major damage or casualty so far even as the landfall process started more than an hour ago, the official said.

#WATCH | Heavy rainfall and gusty winds continue to lash parts of Odisha; landfall process of #CycloneDana underway

(Visuals from Bhadrak) pic.twitter.com/l5N3iRp66X

— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2024

Fishermen have been advised to stay away from the sea as wind speeds of up to 110 kmph are anticipated over the northwest Bay of Bengal. The storm is expected to strengthen, with winds reaching 120 kmph during landfall before gradually subsiding. The IMD has warned of potential storm surges that could flood coastal areas. Local authorities have been on high alert, activating emergency response protocols to ensure the safety of residents in vulnerable areas. Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja said the government has assessed the disaster preparedness of all districts in the state. More than 6 lakh people have been evacuated and moved to cyclone shelters. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi continues to monitor the situation.  
The landfall process of the severe cyclonic storm Dana was also reported in Kolkata, South and North 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur and other districts of West Bengal. Bengal expected to witness extremely heavy to very heavy rain on Friday as well.