Odisha Receives Heavy Rain As Cyclone ‘Dana’ Barrels Towards Coast; IMD Issues Red Message

Bhubaneswar: The severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’  is barrelling towards coastal Odisha and is expected to make landfall close to Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early on Friday.

The storm is expected to pack 110 kmph wind, gusting up to 120 kmph.

“The severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ over Central & adjoining Northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during past 6 hours, and lay centred at 5.30 am over Northwest & adjoining Central Bay of Bengal, about 260 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 290 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 350 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).”

It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamra during midnight of October 24 and October 25 morning as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph, it added.

The storm is likely to dump heavy rains in coastal Odisha on October 24-25. The highest rainfall of 62.9 mm was recorded at Paradip, followed by 46.2 mm at Chandbali in Bhadrak district, 29.2 and 27.4 mm in Chandanpur and Nawana in Mayurbhanj while Rajkanika and Rajnagar in Kendrapada district received 27 and 24 mm rain, in the last four hours, according to the MeT office.

Roads in some areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkania and Puri were blocked, after trees were uprooted due to strong winds. The IMD has warned of uprooting of trees, breaking of tree branches, damage to kutcha houses, electric poles and other infrastructure.

Director of the Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar, Manorama Mohanty said that moderate to intense rain and thunderstorms with wind speeds of 30-40 kmph are likely to lash some parts of Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, Cuttack, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Puri districts during the day, “The severe cyclonic storm is likely to re-curve slightly towards west and west-southwards after landfall, triggering rain in southern Odisha around October 26. However, the landfall and wind speed predictions remain unchanged,” she added.

Eleven districts – Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur, Cuttack and Dhenkanal – may face the maximum impact of the system and have been put on high alert.

Some weather models suggested Dana may reach its peak strength over the sea and might lose some power as it approaches the land on Friday morning. The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre’s forecast track indicated Dana’s landfall point between Basudevpur in Bhadrak and Chandipur in Balasore near a place Kharasahapur between Thursday night and Friday morning with maximum sustained winds of 101 km per hour.

According to Centre for Environment and Climate (CEC) of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University (SOA) here, it is expected to cross the Kendrapara-Bhadrak coast close to Rajnagar in the afternoon or evening of Thursday.

RAIN WARNING

October 24

Red warning (Take Action)

Scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm) falls may occur in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj districts.

Orange warning (Be Prepared to take action)

Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is also likely at isolated places in Puri, Khurda, Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Dhenkanal.

Yellow Warning (Be Aware)

Heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) may also occur at isolated places in Ganjam, Boudh, Angul, Deogarh, Sabalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh and Kandhamal.

October 25

Red warning (Take Action)

Scattered heavy to very heavy falls (7 to 20cm) with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm) may occur at isolated places in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Balasore and Bhadrak districts.

Orange warning (Be Prepared to take action)

Heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20cm) is also likely at isolated places in Jajpur, Kendrapada, Dhenkanal, Angul, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur.

Yellow Warning (Be Aware)

Heavy rainfall (7 to 11cm) is also likely at isolated places in Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Khordha, Jharsuguda, Nayagarh, Boudh and Puri.

The weather agency further stated that heavy rain may continue to lash isolated places in Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi districts on October 26.

WIND WARNING

Gale with wind speed reaching 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph is currently prevailing along and off Odisha coast. It would gradually increase becoming 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph along & off north Odisha and east Medinipur district of West Bengal from October 24 afternoon till October 25 morning and decrease gradually thereafter. Gale wind speed reaching 60-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph is likely along & off south Odisha and remaining districts of coastal West Bengal from October 24 evening till October 25 morning and decrease gradually thereafter.

While Kendrapara, Bhadrak and Balasore are in high-risk zones as wind velocity could touch 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, Mayurbhanj wmay experience wind speed of 80-90 kmph, gusting to 100 kmph. Similarly, the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack and Jajpur are likely to witnessed wind speed of 60-80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph and the wind speed will be 60-70 kmph, gusting to 80 kmph in Puri, Khurda (comprising Bhubaneswar), Dhenkanal and Keonjhar.

STORM SURGE WARNING

Storm surge is likely to be 1.0 to 2.0 m height above astronomical tide and very likely to inundate low-lying areas of Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore districts at the time of landfall.

PORT WARNING

The IMD has issued a “great danger signal No-10” for Puri, Dhamra, and Paradip ports, while Gopalpur port is under signal-8 warning.