- By Nidhi Giri
- Wed, 23 Oct 2024 04:32 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Cyclone Dana is likely to make landfall as a severe cyclonic storm between Bhitarkanika and Dhamra areas in Odisha with winds speed reaching upto 100-120 kmph on the night of October 24, Indian Meteorological Department officials have said on Wednesday. The storm has already formed over east-central Bay of Bengal. IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the maximum wind speed will be felt in districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore of Odisha and East Medinipur of West Bengal.
The cyclone will also trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall in coastal and northern parts of Odisha, and a total of 14 districts are expected to be affected.
“There are chances of storm surge (above the astronomical tide) resulting in inundation of low-lying areas in Kendrapada, Bhadrak and Balasore districts during the landfall,” said Umashankar Das, scientist at the Bhubaneswar regional centre.
Schools, Colleges Closed In Odisha
Schools and colleges have been closed in Odisha in view of the possibility of the cyclone. President Draupadi Murmu's three-day Odisha visit proposed for Tuesday has also been postponed in view of the possibility of heavy rainfall in the coastal areas of Odisha between October 23 and 25 due to the cyclone.
The state has put the government machinery on high alert and started shifting people from vulnerable areas to designated shelters prepared by the administration.
Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari informed that 17 ODRAF teams have been deployed in 10 coastal districts as a precautionary measure in Odisha. He further mentioned that tourists have been advised to vacate the city and not to travel to Puri on October 24-25. Meanwhile, the fishermen have been advised not to venture out into the sea.
Cyclone Dana: Over 150 Trains Cancelled
In the wake of Cyclone Dana, more than 150 express and passenger trains operating under the jurisdiction of South Eastern Railway have been canceled due to the potential strong cyclonic storm to build and strike the shores of Odisha and West Bengal on October 25, according to SER.
Naming Process Of Cyclone Dana
The process of naming cyclones started in 2000 courtesy of the World Meteorological Organisation. For this, there is a panel of countries like Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand etc., which selects the names of cyclones. 'Dana' is an Arabic name, it means 'generosity' in Arabic. This name has been selected by Qatar.