Cyclone Dana Landfall News Highlights: Odisha, West Bengal CMs monitor cyclone situation ahead of landfall

Cyclone Dana Landfall Live: Mamata Banerjee visits control room in Howrah to monitor cyclone situation ahead of landfall

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW) on Thursday said it has initiated comprehensive safety measures to safeguard ports, vessels, and personnel in response to cyclone Dana.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shantanu Thakur, chaired a detailed review meeting to assess the preparedness of the Ministry, the Directorate General of Shipping, and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Paradip Port is also ensuring the safety of essential equipment in under-construction areas and securing high mast lights, loading arms, and gangways.

The Chairman and Deputy Chairman of Kolkata Port and Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port have also been advised to maintain full preparedness despite the expected lesser impact of Cyclone Dana in the region

ISRO on Thursday said its satellites have been tracking the cyclonic storm 'Dana' that is approaching the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal, providing real-time data to aid disaster management efforts.

It said, polar orbiting satellite EOS-06 and geostationary satellite INSAT-3DR are regularly providing valuable information on the cyclone status.

"Cyclonic Storm 'DANA' is approaching the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal. ISRO's EOS-06 and INSAT-3DR satellites have been tracking the storm since October 20, providing real-time data to aid disaster management efforts," the national space agency said in a post on 'X'.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi twice on Thursday and enquired about the state's preparedness for the impending cyclone, set to make landfall between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra post-midnight.

During their conversation, the Chief Minister provided detailed information about the ongoing relocation of people and the deployment of response forces such as the NDRF and ODRAF for public safety, according to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

Additionally, Union Minister Amit Shah discussed the situation with the Chief Minister and promised to provide all necessary assistance and support, the CMO said.

Cyclone Dana Landfall Live: Severe cyclonic storm DANA as seen from Doppler Weather Radar

Reports of heavy downpour, squally wind and uprooting of trees have been received from some areas of Balasore, Bhadrak, Bhitarkania and Puri, leading to blocked roads, officials said, adding that highest rainfall of 62 mm was recorded at Paradip, while Rajnagar in Kendrapara district received 24 mm over the last four hours.

Authorities in Odisha and West Bengal evacuated lakhs of people, shut schools, cancelled more than 400 trains and suspended flight operations as they braced on Thursday for severe cyclonic storm Dana, which is expected to make landfall in Odisha past midnight at a speed of 120kmph.

The Odisha government has deployed 385 rescue teams comprising 19 NDRF teams, ODRAF (51), Fire Service (220), and Forest staff (95). This apart, as many as 150 platoons of Odisha Police personnel have been pressed into service.

The East Coast Railways cancelled 203 trains passing or originating through Odisha even as flight services remained suspended at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here for 16 hours from 5 pm of Thursday. Bus services have also been halted till the cyclone passes the state.

In West Bengal, the state administration evacuated over 2.5 lakh people to safety.

The South Eastern Railway (SER), which oversees routes in West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, has cancelled more than 170 express and passenger trains scheduled between October 23 and 27.

In addition, Eastern Railway cancelled 68 suburban trains in the Howrah division for Friday morning, while all EMU local trains from Sealdah station were suspended from Thursday evening through Friday morning. Kolkata Port authorities also halted ship movements until Friday evening as a precautionary measure.

Operations at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport were suspended from 6 pm on Thursday until 9 am on Friday due to expected high winds and heavy rain.

Severe cyclonic storm DANA over northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at 1730 hrs IST of today, over the same region, near latitude 19.8° N and longitude 87.5°E, about 100 km east-southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 130 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 210 km south-southwest of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during the mid-night of 24th to the morning of October 25, as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph.

Parts of Jharkhand could experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from Thursday night under the influence of cyclonic storm Dana, a Met Department official said.

An 'orange' alert has been issued for the Kolhan region (West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharswan and East Singhbhum districts) for Friday, he said.

"Apart from heavy rain, the region might also experience thunderstorms and gusty winds with speeds of up to 60 kmph," Ranchi Meteorological Centre in-charge Abhishek Anand said.

In view of the inclement weather, Jharkhand School Education and Literacy Development Department on Thursday said that all categories of schools would be closed on Friday in Kolhan division.

IMD Director Manorama Mohanty says, "...It is likely to move north-northwestward and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coast between Puri and Sagar Island very close to Bhitarkanika during midnight of October 24 and morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm. Wind speed will be 100-110 kmph gusting to 120 kmph...Red alert issued in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, and Jajpur districts...."

Flight operations at Bhubaneshwar airport will remain temporarily suspended from 1700 hours today to 0900 hours on October 25 due to cyclonic storm 'Dana'.

Cyclone Dana Landfall Live: Watch as severe cyclonic storm barrels towards coast

A control room has been set up in Howrah to monitor the situation ahead of the expected landfall of cyclone 'Dana' later tonight.

West Bengal Disaster Management Minister Javed Ahmed Khan said, “The CM herself is monitoring it, she will be present at night here. The control room is open 24*7. All the agencies have been alerted. Evacuation has also been done..."

The West Bengal government has evacuated 1,59,837 people and shifted 83,537 people to relief camps till now.

As severe cyclonic storm Dana approaches the Odisha coast, anxious residents in Kendrapara district are desperately rushing to relief camps, finally heeding the urgent calls of authorities, an official said.

Intermittent rain and gusty winds have taken control of seaside villages since Thursday morning as the storm threatens the coastal areas of Kendrapara, Bhadrak, and Balasore districts.

• The West Bengal government announced the evacuation of over one lakh people in anticipation of Cyclone 'Dana.'
• More than 80,000 people have been relocated to relief camps ahead of the expected landfall on Friday.
• In total, 159,837 people have been evacuated.
• 83,537 people have been shifted to relief camps as part of the precautionary measures.

Cyclone Dana Landfall Live: Isro satellites track severe cyclonic storm - How it evolved from Oct 19 - WATCH

• The severe cyclonic storm “DANA” (pronounced as Dana) over northwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 1130 hrs IST of today, the 24th October, over the same region, near latitude 19.2° N and longitude 87.9°E, about 180 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 210 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 270 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal).
• It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during mid-night of 24th to morning of 25th October, 2024 as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph. - tweets IMD

Kolkata airport is gearing up to manage the impact of Cyclone Dana, with flight operations set to be suspended for 15 hours starting at 6 pm on Thursday. Airport Director Pravat Ranjan Beuria stated that all entry and exit doors of the terminal will be sealed once the last flight departs, and aircraft parked on the bays will be secured for safety.

As part of the preparedness, several teams of NDRF and SDRF have been deployed in both Odisha and West Bengal. While 20 NDRF teams are stationed in Odisha, 17 teams have been deployed in West Bengal. Apart from this, Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Coast Guard are on high alert as well.

More than 300 trains have been canceled by the Indian Railways due to Cyclone Dana. The trains canceled include Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express.

The World Meteorological Organisation says that the name for the cyclone was suggested by Qatar. Dana is a word from Arabic language, which translates to 'generosity.' ‘Dana’ or ‘Danah’ has extremely significant in Arabic culture.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that she will stay in Nabanna overnight to monitor the landfall. She said that all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate the impact of the storm.

"Our target is zero casualties, and efforts are in full swing to ensure 100% evacuation," said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He reported that over 3 lakh people have already been evacuated, including more than 2,300 pregnant women who have been moved to safer locations. "More than 7,000 cyclone shelters are prepared, and medical as well as veterinary teams are on standby," he added. Security has been bolstered with police deployment to reassure residents, and essential power backup, including DG sets, gensets, and inverters, has been stationed at district hospitals. Both NDRF and ODRAF teams are positioned in the affected districts, while ministers have been assigned to oversee operations in each of the 10 districts. The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Dhamra Port and Bhitarkanika.

As part of the preparation, Odisha government has evacuated over 3 lakh people to safety across the state. Major tourist destinations have been shut down for visitors. Elderly women have been asked not to visit Puri Jagannath Temple.

Back in 2019, Cyclone Fani had struck Puri, causing widespread destruction in and around the Pilgrim City and leaving many people homeless. Since then, the temple has been undergoing repairs and renovations by the Archaeological Survey of India.

• Removed roof of the row barricades near the seven steps and decorative lights from the porch.
• Secured all light barricades with ropes and filled generator sets with diesel.
• A JCB machine is on standby for emergencies.
• Protected the CCTV system to prevent disruptions.
• Chief Administrator advised consulting with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Odisha Bridge and Construction Corporation (OBCC) for further measures.
• District Collector and Superintendent of Police assigned to oversee all arrangements and ensure readiness.

• Removed temporary tin and thatched roofs at Anand Bazar, where prasad is sold and served.
• Installed temporary sheds to protect against rain.
• Took down the LED screen at Simhadwar (temple entrance) and replaced the information center with plywood.
• Placed sandbags on tin sheet roofs in the Koili Baikuntha area for added stability.

The Puri temple administration has implemented measures to protect the temple complex and ensure readiness for the expected impact of Cyclone Dana.

The forecast of landfall is between midnight to tomorrow morning. The landfall will be between Puri and Sagardeep near Bhitarkarnika and Dhamra. The wind speed during the landfall is expected to be 100-120 kmph. At present, the wind speed in coastal areas in 60-70 kmph. Wind speed will be very high in Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Medinipur districts. The intensity of rainfall will increase gradually. A few districts such as Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack are likely to get extremely heavy rainfall: Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, India Meteorological Department

Railway has taken many steps in view of cyclone Dana. Railway Minister has reviewed our preparations and directed us to ensure as less traffic disruption as possible, so that we can manage during this cyclone effectively, said General Manager of East Coast Railway Parmeshwar Funkwal.

Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting and reviewed the preparedness for severe Cyclone Dana at Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

Parts of Jharkhand could experience heavy to very heavy rainfall from Thursday night under the influence of cyclonic storm 'Dana', a Met Department official said.

An ‘orange’ alert has been issued in the Kolhan region (West Singhbhum, Seraikela-Kharswan and East Singhbhum districts) for Friday, he said.

This category of alert indicates heavy rainfall ranging from 115 mm to 204 mm in 24 hours, the official said.

Bhadrak assistant fisheries officer, Sandeep Kumar Behera said due to impending cyclone Dana, fishing has been prohibited till October 26. On Wednesday, Dhamra Port Chief Executive Officer Devendra Thakkar announced that all port operations have been suspended and the entire workforce has been evacuated ahead of Cyclone Dana's landfall.

The coastal belt of Odisha experienced heavy rain and squally winds on Thursday morning with the sea condition remaining rough, as severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ approached closer to the state’s coast, the IMD said.

"We have formed eight teams which would cooperate the district administration. In the core range of Bhitarkarnika, we have deployed six teams. There are several challenges, evacuating local people, cleaning the roads, rescuing animals. We have also formed two teams to work on reviving damaged eco-tourism infrastructure as soon as possible," said Manas Kumar Das, Assistant Conservator of Forests.

Local administration and police evacuating people living in vulnerable areas of Dhamra in Bhadrak district. People are being brought to the cyclone shelter as Dana is expected to make landfall over the Odisha-West Bengal coast, between October 24-25.

Teams from the NDRF in both Odisha and West Bengal have been placed on standby. Additionally, rescue and relief teams from the Army, Navy, and Coast Guard are on high alert.

“The cyclone Dana has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm last midnight and it has been moving north-westward with a speed 12km/hr during the last 6 hours and now it is lying over central and adjoining north-west Bay of Bengal,” said Manorama Mohanty, Director IMD, on cyclone ‘Dana’. “It will make landfall between midnight of today to the early morning of 25 October as a severe cyclonic storm while crossing wind speed will be around 100 to 110 kilometres per hour… In the capital city, heavy rainfall is expected and wind speed will slowly increase and the highest wind speed is likely to occur tonight,” she told news agency ANI.

The Regional Passport Office in Kolkata has announced that applicants unable to attend their scheduled appointments Thursday (because of Cyclone Dana) will be able to reschedule their visits. A notification will be sent to affected applicants, offering them a later appointment date. Applicants can also book an online enquiry appointment via the website, www.passportindia.gov.in, said Ashish Middha, RPO, Kolkata.

Puri Srimandir administration has ramped up its preparations to handle the impact of the cyclone. As a precaution, the Puri Srimandir administration has adopted necessary emergency measures to ensure the timely and proper ‘Niti Kanti’ of Lord Jagannath and his siblings

Odisha Fire Services Director General, Sudhanshu Sarangi said that they have 182 teams which is nearly about 2000 people and they are fully geared up to deal with the cyclone.

Eastern Railway has suspended local train services from Sealdah from 8 pm on Thursday till 10 am on Friday in view of the cyclone. “We don’t want any passenger train to be on the tracks when the cyclone strikes,” said an official.The Sealdah division covers six Bengal districts — North and South 24 Parganas, Nadia, Murshidabad, Kolkata, and Howrah.

"The severe cyclonic storm “DANA” (pronounced as 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 0530 hrs IST of today, the 24th October, over northwest & adjoining central Bay of Bengal, near latitude 18.5° N and longitude 88.2°E, about 260 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 290 km south-southeast of Dhamara (Odisha) and 350 km south of Sagar Island (West Bengal)..." says India Meteorological Department.

Flight operations at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar will remain suspended for 16 hours from Thursday evening in view of cyclone Dana, a statement said.

"Airport operation will be suspended from 5 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 due to cyclone Dana," the statement said.

The Kolkata airport authorities decided to suspend flight operations for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday in view of the possible impact of cyclone Dana, an official said.

The step was taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers, airline employees, various equipment, navigational aids and infrastructure, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said on Wednesday.

“In view of cyclone Dana's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, it has been decided to suspend the flight operations from 6 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall at Kolkata,” an AAI spokesperson said.

Odisha government started evacuation of people from coastal areas and deployed 288 rescue teams in vulnerable areas across 14 districts, officials said.

The state government has already mobilised 19 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams, 51 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, and 178 Fire Services teams, with an additional 40 teams also deployed in the affected districts.

The preliminary test of the Odisha civil service examination, 2023, has been postponed in view of the impending cyclone Dana, which will hit the Odisha coast by October 25.

According to a notice issued by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC), the preliminary examination, which was scheduled to be held on October 27 has been postponed and a fresh date will be notified after seven days.

Also, Nandankanan Zoo and State Botanical Garden will also remain closed for visitors on October 24 and 25 in view of the impending cyclone.

Popular sea beaches of Odisha wore a deserted look on Wednesday as the state is making preparations to tackle cyclone Dana which is likely to make landfall in the early hours of October 25.

Except for some police personnel, no visitors could be found on the seashores of Puri, Gopalpur, Paradip, Chandipur and others.

With Cyclone Dana forecast to make landfall on October 24-25 along the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha, the Indian Coast Guard is on "high alert" and has mobilised its vessels and aircraft, positioning them strategically to respond swiftly to any emergency situation at sea.

The ICG has been closely monitoring the situation and has taken proactive steps to ensure preparedness for dealing with any emergency arising from the cyclone’s impact, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The ICG is on "high alert" with its dedicated disaster relief teams and assets ready to provide assistance, rescue and relief operations, it said.

Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelled a large number of trains on October 24 and 25, in view of the cyclone.

The storm is likely to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal and make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Cyclone Dana Tracker Live Updates: Cyclone to make landfall between Oct 24-25

On Cyclone Dana, Devendra Thakkar, CEO, Dhamra Port says, " As per the IMD prediction, cyclone Dana will make a landfall from above Dhamra port...Dhamra port has made a good SOP to face cyclone. Cyclone will hit the port on 25th October and we have already stopped all the functions of port...entire work force of the port has been evacuated..."

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who reviewed the state government's preparedness, however, said that only 30 per cent of the people, or around 3-4 lakh people living in the identified 'danger zone', have been evacuated by Wednesday evening.

"The remaining people will be brought to safety by 11 am on Thursday," he said.