Heavy rain batters Odisha, Bengal as severe Cyclone Dana nears coast

Cyclone Dana, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, will likely make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha on Thursday night.

In Short

• Odisha's Paradip records highest rainfall on Thursday morning
• Heavy rainfall to continue in Odisha, Bengal on next 2 days due to Cyclone Dana
• Cyclone Dana expected to make landfall in Odisha on Thursday night

Several regions of West Bengal and Odisha received moderate to heavy rain on Thursday morning, with sea conditions remaining rough, as the severe cyclonic storm 'Dana' coast.

According to the India Meterological Department (IMD), Cyclone Dana, which has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, will likely make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha on Thursday night, with wind speeds likely to reach up to 120 kilometres per hour.

The highest rainfall of 62 mm was recorded at Odisha's Paradip on Thursday, the Met department said.

Several roads in Odisha's Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkania and Puri were blocked, after trees were uprooted due to strong winds, officials said.

The weather body has predicted that several regions in Odisha and West Bengal will get heavy to extremely heavy rainfall due to the effects of the cyclone in the next two days.

It said that Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack and Dhenkanal, Khorda and Puri districts in Odisha will get extremely heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday.

Similarly, South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura districts in West Bengal will get extremely heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday due to the effect of the cyclone.

The weather body said that the severe cyclonic storm was around 290 km from Dhamara and 350 km from Bengal's Sagar Island as of 5 am on Thursday.

It also advised fishermen not to venture into the Bay of Bengal till Friday as a precautionary measure against the cyclone.

The Kolkata airport will suspend flight operations from 6 pm on Thursday to 9 am tomorrow due to the cyclone. Similarly, the Bhubaneswar airport will suspend its operations from 5 pm today to 9 am on Friday. Around 200 trains have been cancelled running through the two states due to the cyclone.