Cyclone Dana Live Updates: IMD Issues Rain And Storm Warnings; Kolkata Airport To Halt Operations From 6 PM

As Cyclone Dana approaches the Odisha coast, authorities have urged devotees to avoid visiting the Jagannath Temple in Puri. Preparations are being expedited to minimise the impact of the cyclone on the historic 12th-century shrine.

(Source: PTI)

Ferry services in the Sunderbans area spread over North and South 24 Parganas districts and also across river Hooghly in Kolkata and adjoining areas will remain cancelled in view of the impending inclement weather, officials said.

(Source: PTI)

Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) airport has suspended flight operations from 6:00 p.m. today till 9:00 a.m. Friday in view of cyclone Dana. Heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected at Kolkata.

Public transportation to and from Kolkata's suburbs may be disrupted starting Thursday evening as Eastern and South Eastern Railways have cancelled numerous trains due to the approaching cyclone.

Over 170 express and passenger trains under the jurisdiction of South Eastern Railway have been cancelled, with departures scheduled till Oct 27. The SER zone, headquartered in Kolkata, covers West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

Additionally, the Eastern Railway will suspend all EMU local train services from Sealdah station on its south and Hasnabad sections from 8:00 p.m. on Thursday until 10:00 a.m. on Friday. The Eastern Railway also cancelled 68 suburban trains on the Howrah division for Friday morning.

Storm surge of 1.0 to 2.0 meter height above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore districts of Odisha and East Medinipur districts of West Bengal during the time of landfall, IMD said.

Storm surge of 0.5 to 1.0 meter height above astronomical tide is very likely to inundate low lying areas of South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal and Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha during the time of landfall.

Well known sand artist Sudarshan Pattanaik created a sand sculpture on cyclone 'Dana' at a beach in Puri on Wednesday.

Odisha:

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places and extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack and Dhenkanal, Khorda and Puri districts.

West Bengal:

Light to moderate rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over South & North 24 Parganas, East & West Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura districts.

Jharkhand:

Light to moderate rainfall at most places is likely over south Jharkhand with heavy rainfall at isolated places today and heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places on Friday.

In anticipation of the severe impact of Cyclone Dana along the coast of Odisha and West Bengal, the Indian Navy is preparing to conduct Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

The Met department has mentioned some possible impacts of Cyclone Dana.

• Roads and railway services may be affected in coastal areas due to the cyclone.

• Localized Flooding of roads, water logging in low lying areas and closure of underpasses mainly in urban areas of the above region.

• Disruption of traffic in major cities and roadways due to water logging in roads and poor visibility due to heavy rain leading to increased travel time and incidents.

• Damage to power and communication lines.

• Localized Landslides/Mudslides/landslips/mud slips/land sinks/mud sinks.

• Major damage to thatched houses/ huts.

• Breaking of tree branches and uprooting of trees.

• Major damage to Kutcha and some damage to Pucca roads. Flooding of escape routes.

• Damage to horticulture and standing crops due to inundation and wind.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced that over 30% of the targeted 10 lakh people had been evacuated to safety by Wednesday evening as cyclone Dana approached the state's coastal region, posing a threat to nearly half of its population.

The government set a goal to evacuate 10,60,336 individuals from 14 districts. Evacuees are being provided with dry and cooked food, along with necessary arrangements in cyclone shelters. The chief minister assured that the state government is fully prepared to handle the situation and urged residents to stay safe and avoid panic.

(Source: PTI)

Several districts in West Bengal experienced moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday morning as severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' approached the state's coast and that of neighboring Odisha, according to the IMD.

As of 2:30 AM, the storm was located 280 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha) and 370 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

The storm is expected to bring heavy rain to several southern Bengal districts, including Kolkata. The Met Department has advised fishermen to avoid venturing into the sea due to prevailing gale winds of 90-100 km/h, gusting up to 110 km/h over the northwest Bay of Bengal.

(Source: PTI)

The map below by windy.com shows the live tracking and possible route of Cyclone Dana for the next 2 days.

*If the map is not visible then click on the link below to access the live tracking of the severe cyclonic storm Dana.

Cyclone Dana Live Tracker

Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand have beefed up their preparations ahead of the landfall of Cyclone Dana.

The cyclone, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 120 kmph (75 mph), is likely to hit between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha between midnight and Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department said.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said more than 30% of the targeted 10 lakh people have been evacuated to safe places by Wednesday evening.

More than 1.14 lakh people in West Bengal have been evacuated to safer shelters so far, with severe cyclone 'Dana' approaching the adjacent Odisha coast, PTI reported.

Parts of Jharkhand could experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from Thursday night under the influence of the cyclonic storm, a Met Department official said. An ‘orange’ alert has been issued in the Kolhan region (West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharswan and East Singhbhum districts) for Friday, he said.