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Cyclone Dana made landfall as a violent storm on India’s east coast, uprooting trees with torrential rain and strong winds.
The storm entered Odisha last night, with maximum sustained wind speeds of around 108 mph and gusts of up to 125 mph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
As the storm made landfall, strong winds toppled trees and brought heavy rain to parts of Odisha and neighboring West Bengal, local media reported.
Dana is expected to weaken to a low pressure system by midday as it moves inland.
The landfall process is expected to continue till Friday as the storm moves further into northern Odisha and gradually weaken over the next few hours, IMD said.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Dana was moving north-northwest at 10 km/h and its center was over the north coast of Odisha, about 30 km north-northwest of Dhamra town.
IMD Director Mrutunjay Mohapatra said the storm system would move deeper into the state and cause heavy rains.
Officials are still assessing damage caused by the wind and storm. No deaths or major damage had been reported as of early Friday morning.
At least 1.1 million people were evacuated by authorities Thursday ahead of the storm.
Flights and trains were also suspended due to the storm warning. However, Kolkata and Bhubaneswar airports resumed operations on Friday.
Some roads were closed in coastal areas due to fallen trees and debris as cleanup efforts began on Friday.
“The falling trees have caused major damage to electrical equipment. Roads are being cleared,” Odisha Higher Education Minister Suryavanshi Suraj, who is in charge of Bhadrak district, said, according to NDTV.
The IMD warned on Thursday that ahead of the storm, heavy rains are expected to pose a risk of major flooding in low-lying areas.
Authorities were on high alert for damage in three districts of Odisha, with the meteorological bureau predicting that the landfall process could generate a storm surge of about 1 meter (yard) and worsen flooding.
“The government is fully prepared to deal with this situation,” Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi told the people before the storm arrived, PTI reported.
Schools and government offices were closed Friday and more than 200 trains were suspended in anticipation of the storm’s impact.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday said the people have weathered many storms and will face the dharna with confidence and patience.
“Bengal will stand united. India will stand united. We will overcome,” he said, according to news agency PTI.
Hundreds of National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) personnel have been deployed to both states.
The team went door to door with loudspeakers to inform people about the cyclonic storm.
Although Bangladesh was not in the direct path of Cyclone Dana, it was also preparing for its impact, especially in coastal areas such as Khulna and Barisal. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department warned of heavy rain and storm surge as the cyclone passes near the country’s southern coast.
Parts of neighboring Jharkhand are also expected to receive heavy to very heavy rain from Thursday night as the storm moves inward.
The IMD has issued an orange alert for the Kolhan region of East Jharkhand, including West Singhbhum, Seraikela Khaswan and East Singhbhum districts.
The warning warns that between 115mm and 204mm of rain, two to four times London’s monthly rainfall, could occur within 24 hours, leading to localized flooding.
India’s eastern coastline has always been prone to cyclones, but the climate crisis is increasing the frequency and intensity of cyclones.
In the past few years, storms such as Cyclone Amphan in 2020, Cyclone Yas in 2021, and Cyclone Fani in 2019 have killed hundreds of people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Last year was India’s worst cyclone season in recent years, killing 523 people and causing an estimated £2.3 billion in damage.
