LIVECyclone Dana Updates | IAF lifted NDRF team, 150 personnel and relief material to Bhubaneswar

Here are some glimpses into how Odisha is preparing for the storm's wrath

Cyclone 'Dana' forms over Bay of Bengal, to cross Odisha-Bengal coasts on early Friday: Met

A deep depression over east-central Bay of Bengal intensified into cyclonic storm 'Dana' on Wednesday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The storm is likely to move in a northwestward direction, intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal and cross the Odisha-West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island in the early hours of October 25 with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph, the IMD added.

The system lay 560 km southeast of Paradip and 630 km south-southeast of Sagar Island at 5.30 am, it said.

Advising fishermen not to venture into the sea from October 23 to 25, the Met warned that wind speed is likely to reach 60 kilometres per hour (kmph) along and off Odisha-West Bengal coasts from October 23 and gradually increase to 100-110 kmph, gusting to 120 kmph, from October 24 night till October 25 morning.

(PTI)

Here are the trains cancelled by Eastern Railways as Dana approaches

Odisha govt is asking people in Puri to evacuate during tourist season.

IAF lifted NDRF team, 150 personnel and relief material to Bhubaneswar

Based on the IMD forecast, the Odisha government has put 14 districts on alert

Districts such as Angul, Puri, Nayagarh, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Ganjam and Mayurbhanj are on alert

Entire eastern coast from Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island West Bengal coast is likely to be impacted : IMD

IMD DG Mrutunjay Mohapatra said that the entire eastern coast from Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island West Bengal coast is likely to be impacted by the impending cyclone Dana.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urged all the MLAs to coordinate with the administration in rescue and relief operations in Odisha, which is likely to bear the brunt of the cyclone.

Odisha, Bengal start evacuating people ahead of cyclone; Coast Guard on high alert

As Odisha and West Bengal are bracing for a severe cyclonic storm, governments of both states started evacuating people and while deciding to close educational institutions in vulnerable areas.

With half of Odisha’s population likely to be affected by the impending cyclone that could cross the east coast, the state government has planned to shift over 10 lakh people from 3,000 villages in 14 districts to relief camps, according to an official statement.