BHUBANESWAR: The coastal regions of Odisha were hit by heavy rainfall and gusty winds on Thursday morning as severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ drew nearer to the state’s coastline, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The cyclone is expected to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port early Friday, with wind speeds reaching up to 120 kilometers per hour (kmph). As of 5:30 AM, the weather system was located approximately 260 km southeast of Paradip, 290 km south-southeast of Dhamra, and 350 km south of Sagar Island in West Bengal, moving north-northwest at 12 kmph over the last six hours.
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The IMD reported that ‘Dana’ is projected to continue moving northwest and cross the northern Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island, near Bhitarkanika and Dhamra, late on October 24 to the morning of October 25, as a severe cyclonic storm with sustained wind speeds of 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph.
In the last four hours, Paradip recorded the highest rainfall at 62 mm, while Rajnagar in Kendrapara district saw 24 mm of rain. The IMD also forecasted moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms, with wind speeds of 30-40 kmph, affecting several districts, including Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, and Puri throughout the day.
Manorama Mohanty, Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Bhubaneswar, indicated that after making landfall, the cyclone is likely to slightly shift westward and could cause rainfall in southern Odisha around October 26. She reassured that the landfall and wind speed predictions have not changed.
Officials reported that strong winds have uprooted trees, blocking roads in several areas, including Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkanika, and Puri.
(Inputs – Ankita Singh, A freelancer reporter at C6N)
