Eastern India faced severe weather on Friday as Cyclone Dana made landfall, bringing heavy rain and strong winds to coastal areas. The cyclone struck the northern coast of Odisha with wind speeds reaching 110 kilometers per hour (70 mph), equivalent to a tropical storm in the Atlantic. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), the storm was located about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Kolkata, moving north-northwest at a speed of 12 kph (8 mph) as of 9 a.m. local time.
The cyclone brought significant rainfall across Odisha and West Bengal, with amounts ranging from 50 to 150 millimeters (2 to 6 inches). The highest rainfall, recorded at 160 mm (6.2 inches), was reported in Chandbali, a town along the coast. Despite the intensity of the storm, there were no immediate reports of casualties or significant damage.
Mass Evacuations and Precautionary Measures
Ahead of Cyclone Dana’s landfall, authorities took extensive precautionary measures, including evacuating hundreds of thousands of residents from vulnerable coastal regions. Schools were closed, and train and flight services were suspended in anticipation of the storm. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert, its highest rainfall warning, for parts of Odisha and West Bengal, urging residents to stay indoors and remain vigilant.
Odisha’s Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi, informed the Press Trust of India that around 300,000 people were evacuated from areas most at risk. He emphasized that three districts in particular were expected to bear the brunt of the cyclone’s impact. In total, authorities planned to evacuate over a million people across 14 districts in Odisha as a safety measure. Teams of aid workers and emergency responders were deployed to assist with evacuations and to prepare for any rescue operations that might be needed after the storm passed.
Cyclone Season’s Increasing Severity
Cyclones are a regular occurrence along India’s eastern coast, but there has been a noticeable increase in the frequency and intensity of such storms in recent years. Odisha and its neighboring states have faced the brunt of several powerful cyclones over the past decade. Last year, the region experienced its deadliest cyclone season, which resulted in 523 fatalities and caused an estimated $2.5 billion in damages. This trend of intense cyclones is attributed to changing climate patterns, which have heightened the vulnerability of the coastal states.
Cyclone Dana is expected to weaken as it moves westward across Odisha, but it will continue to bring moderate to heavy rainfall to various parts of the state throughout the weekend. Authorities are on high alert, ready to manage any potential flooding and infrastructure damage that might occur due to the storm’s impact.
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