Cyclone Dana makes landfall in Coastal Odisha; Heavy rain, winds accompany: Top Points

Coastal Odisha faced severe weather conditions late after Thursday's midnight as Cyclone Dana made landfall, bringing wind speeds of up to 110 km/h. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the cyclone struck between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra shortly after midnight, with the landfall process continuing into Friday morning.

In the coastal districts of Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and the neighbouring Jagatsinghpur district, residents experienced sudden gusts of wind and heavy rainfall. Reports from local authorities indicated instances of trees being uprooted, leading to blocked roads in Bhadrak district.

Cyclone Dana top updates:

- According to a post on X, the IMD confirmed that Cyclone Dana was positioned near latitude 20.5° N and longitude 87.1° E, approximately 50 km east-northeast of Paradip and 160 km southwest of Sagar Island in West Bengal.

- While the landfall process commenced overnight, officials noted that there have been no significant reports of damage or casualties thus far.

- As of 6 AM on Friday, IMD director Manorama Mohanty reported that the cyclone was located approximately 15 km north of Dhamra. “The current intensity is still classified as a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds ranging from 100-110 km/h. The landfall process is expected to continue for another one to two hours,” she stated.

- Odisha's revenue and disaster management minister announced that about ten districts are anticipated to be impacted by the cyclone, with evacuation efforts already completed.

- The IMD has forecasted light to moderate rainfall across much of Odisha, with heavy to very heavy downpours expected in several districts, including Balasore, Mayurbhanj, and Puri, through October 25.

- According to the government, over 377,000 individuals have been evacuated from high-risk areas, including 60 blocks and 2,131 villages.

- More than 7,307 relief centres have been established, with over 4,756 operational and various medical and veterinary teams deployed across affected regions.

-The state's government reported that approximately 584,000 people had been relocated from vulnerable coastal zones before the cyclone hit.

- IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra cautioned that the cyclone could lead to a tidal surge of up to two meters above the usual astronomical height, especially in Kendrapara, Balasore, and Bhadrak districts.

- Strong winds reaching 60-80 km/h, with gusts of up to 90 km/h, are expected to impact southern Odisha until Friday morning.

(With PTI inputs)