West Bengal witnessed heavy to moderate rainfall across several districts on Thursday morning as Cyclone Dana intensified and approached the state's coastline along with Odisha’s.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the severe cyclonic storm is expected to make landfall between Odisha’s Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port early Friday, bringing winds as strong as 120 kmph.
At 2:30 am on Thursday, the cyclone was located 280 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 370 km south-southeast of West Bengal’s Sagar Island.
The IMD has warned of worsening weather conditions in the coming hours, with southern Bengal expected to bear the brunt of Dana’s impact.
Heavy rainfall has already begun affecting the coastal districts, including Kolkata, where an overcast sky and intermittent showers greeted residents. Gusty winds and moderate downpours were reported across other areas in southern Bengal early Thursday.
The IMD bulletin issued a warning of heavy to very heavy rain, with isolated instances of extremely heavy downpours in the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, and Kolkata on both Thursday and Friday.
Authorities have advised fishermen to stay ashore, with gale-force winds already lashing the northwest Bay of Bengal, reaching speeds of 90-100 kmph,
gusting up to 110 kmph.
The IMD forecasts that wind speeds may escalate to 100-110 kmph by Thursday night and up to 120 kmph by Friday morning before gradually subsiding.
Public transportation in Kolkata’s suburbs is likely to be severely impacted by the weather, with the Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelling a large number of trains across Thursday and Friday.
More than 170 express and passenger trains under South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction have been called off due to Cyclone Dana. Scheduled departures from October 23 to 27 have been affected.
The Eastern Railway (ER) also suspended EMU local train services from Sealdah to southern and Hasnabad sections from 8 pm Thursday till 10 am Friday. An additional 68 suburban trains on the Howrah division will remain cancelled on Friday morning.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has opened a control room and cancelled leave for essential staff to ensure readiness for any emergency.
Meanwhile, ferry services in the Sunderbans and along the Hooghly River in Kolkata and adjacent areas have been suspended in anticipation of severe weather.
The Indian Coast Guard has declared high alert, mobilising vessels and aircraft in strategic positions to swiftly respond to emergencies over the Bay of Bengal.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also deployed teams throughout southern Bengal to manage potential emergencies.
As the cyclone inches closer to the coast, officials urge the public to remain cautious and refrain from venturing into vulnerable areas.
The worst effects of Cyclone Dana are expected to hit by Friday morning, with gradual easing of conditions thereafter.
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