Cyclone Dana is forming and is likely to bring heavy to extremely heavy rainfall | Latest news India

Cyclone Dana has formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal and is likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclone over the northwestern Bay of Bengal early Thursday. It was expected to cross the coast of North Odisha and West Bengal between Puri and Sagar Island with wind speed of 100-110 km per hour with gusts of 120 km per hour from Thursday evening to Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said ).

Authorities have ordered closure of schools in Odisha’s 14 districts from Wednesday to Friday and asked tourists and pilgrims to leave Puri and fishermen not to venture into the sea as they brace for the severe cyclonic storm that is expected will make landfall late Thursday. Rescue teams have been put on standby as IMD said heavy to extremely heavy rains and the storm in cyclone-prone Odisha could damage houses, roads, crops and power lines, causing floods and landslides.

A deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal earlier moved west-northwestward at a speed of 18 km per hour for six hours before developing into Cyclonic Storm Dana. It was located about 560 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 630 km southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 630 km southeast of Khepupara (Bangladesh).

The weather system was expected to bring heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) at isolated places in Odisha’s Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur, Puri, Khorda, Ganjam and Gajapati on Wednesday. Extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 21 cm) was likely at isolated places in Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Puri districts of Odisha and West Bengal’s South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura districts on Thursday and Friday.

Heavy rainfall was also likely in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam districts of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday and Friday.

The impact of the cyclone was mainly expected in Odisha’s Baleswar, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khorda, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and West Bengal South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura.

The tropical cyclone heat potential of >100 kj/cm2 over the northeastern Bay of Bengal was high and favorable for cyclone development. The sea surface temperature of 29 to 32°C over the Bay of Bengal was also above normal.

IMD Director General Mohapatra on Sunday said Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts have been put under surveillance ahead of the cyclone and maximum impact is likely to be there. “In Odisha, heavy rains are likely to begin on October 23 (Wednesday) evening. Heavy to very heavy (7 to 20 cm) and extremely heavy (more than 20 cm) rain will occur in Odisha and coastal West Bengal on October 24 (Thursday) and 25 (Friday).

Mohapatra said some places are receiving more than 30 cm of rain. “On the 24th (Thursday), the maximum wind speed may reach 100 to 120 km per hour, which means it will be a severe cyclone. I do not yet expect its intensification to result in a very severe cyclone.”