Cyclone Dana is set to make landfall tonight near Bhitarkanika and Dhamra in Odisha, with wind speeds expected to range between 100-120 km/h. Authorities in both Odisha and West Bengal are on high alert. Evacuations have been carried out, and flight and train services are suspended as precautionary measures.

The cyclone is projected to cross the northern coasts of Odisha and West Bengal, between Puri and Sagar Island, with Bhitarkanika and Dhamra being closest to its path. According to Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director-General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, landfall will begin on the night of October 24 and continue through the morning of October 25, with wind speeds possibly reaching 120 km/h during this period.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi confirmed that safety measures are in place for affected districts like Kendrapara, Bhadrak, Balasore, Jagatsinghpur, and Puri. More than 30% of the vulnerable population has already been relocated, and the evacuation process will continue throughout the night. The target is to have 90% of residents in these areas evacuated by 11 a.m. the following day. So far, about 300,000 to 400,000 people have been safely moved.

Flight operations at Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport will be halted for 16 hours from Thursday evening, and train services have also been temporarily stopped in Odisha.

West Bengal has evacuated over 140,000 people from regions like Sagar Island, the Sundarbans, and Kakdwip, with plans to relocate an additional 280,000 from Bankura, Hooghly, Howrah, North and South 24 Parganas, Paschim and Purba Medinipur, and Kolkata. Kolkata Airport will also suspend flight services for 15 hours starting at 6 p.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, 190 local train services have been canceled by the Eastern Railway.

Tourists visiting popular coastal destinations like Digha, Shankarpur, and Tajpur in West Bengal have been advised to stay indoors and avoid venturing near the sea.

Disaster relief teams have been deployed across the affected states. In Odisha, 20 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been mobilized, while West Bengal has 17 teams, with additional reserves in place. Nearby states such as Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, which are likely to experience heavy rain and flooding, are also being prepared, with teams stationed in each state. The Coast Guard is on high alert, and fishing activities have been prohibited for the next two days.