Late Thursday night, the severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ made landfall on the Odisha coast, bringing gusty winds and heavy rains to the state’s coastal districts. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Dana moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 10 kmph and was centered at 05:30 am on Friday, over north coastal Odisha.
The storm lay about 20 km north-northwest of Dhamara and 40 km north-northwest of Habalikhati Nature Camp in Bhitarkanika. The landfall process, which can continue for 1-2 more hours, has led to disruptions in Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and nearby Jagatsinghpur, where wind speeds reached 100-110 kmph. Heavy rains have caused many trees to be uprooted across the affected regions, particularly in Bhadrak, where blocked roads have been reported.
“Reports of trees getting uprooted were also received at the office of the Special Relief Commissioner,” a revenue department official confirmed. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Deputy Inspector General Mohsen Shahedi said that 20 teams are deployed in Odisha and 17 teams in West Bengal in preparation for severe cyclonic storm Dana’s landfall.
The East Coast Railway and Northeast Frontier Railway have canceled three trains. According to the IMD, the Cyclone Dana is expected to continue west-northwestwards, weakening into a cyclonic storm by forenoon today. Biju Patnaik International Airport has resumed its operation at 8 am this morning as the weather conditions became normal in Bhubaneswar, an official said.
The airport operation was suspended from 5 pm Thursday in view of cyclone Dana which made landfall between Dhamra and Bhitarkanika from midnight to early morning. Flight operations affected at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, as landfall process of Cyclone Dana is underway.
In light of the possible impact of Cyclone Dana in Odisha and West Bengal, schools and other educational institutions have been directed to remain closed on Friday. Meanwhile, educational institutions in certain areas of Jharkhand have also been ordered to shut down.
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