Kolkata (PTI): Several districts in West Bengal experienced moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday morning as severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ approached the coastlines of West Bengal and Odisha, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported. The storm is expected to land early Friday between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha, with wind speeds reaching 120 kmph.
At 2:30 AM Thursday, the cyclone was located 280 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 370 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal. The storm is expected to bring heavy downpours to various southern districts of Bengal, including Kolkata.
Fishermen have been advised to avoid the sea due to prevailing winds of 90-100 kmph, which may intensify to 120 kmph by Friday morning. Coastal districts such as North and South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, Purba Paschim Medinipur, and Jhargram will likely witness heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.
The approaching cyclone has led to significant disruptions in public transport. Both Eastern and South Eastern Railways have canceled a large number of trains between October 23 and October 27, with over 170 express and passenger trains affected. Ferry services in the Sundarbans and Kolkata areas have also been suspended.
Authorities, including the Indian Coast Guard and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), are on high alert to manage potential emergencies. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has set up a control room and has canceled the leaves of essential staff to handle any crisis.
