As per reports, the following are the updates for Cyclone Dana and its impact in Odisha and West Bengal, as of Thursday (24 October):
• The cyclonic storm Dana over Eastcentral & adjoining westcentral Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past six hours, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm over central & adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and lay centred at 2330 hours as of Wednesday (23 October).
• It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during mid-night of Thursday (24 October) to morning of Friday (25 October) as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.
• Landfall process is expected to begin on Thursday night (24 October).
• Three ports in Odisha have issued great danger signal number 10.
• The Kolkata and Bhubaneswar airport authorities decided to suspend flight operations for 15 hours from 1800 hours on Thursday (24 October) in view of the possible impact of cyclone Dana.
• Three lakh people have been evacuated from Odisha. In view of the impending landfall of Cyclone Dana and its effects predicted from the midnight of Wednesday (23 October( to the morning of Sunday (26 October), the West Bengal Raj Bhavan has set up a task force and control room to assist the public in this hour of need.
• Odisha Fire Services Director General stated that they have 182 teams which is nearly about 2000 people and they are fully geared to deal with the cyclone.
• The Eastern Railway will not operate 190 local trains in its Sealdah division from 2000 hours on Thursday till 1000 on Friday in view of cyclonic storm ‘Dana’.
