Cyclone Dana approaches Bengal coast, heavy rains and strong winds hit

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Several districts in West Bengal experienced moderate to heavy rainfall on Thursday morning as severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana' inched closer to the state's coast and neighbouring Odisha, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD stated that the storm is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early on Friday, with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph. As per PTI reports, the cyclone was located 280 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 370 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal as of 2:30 AM.

The storm is expected to bring significant rainfall across south Bengal, including districts like North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly. The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rainfall with isolated places likely to experience extremely heavy downpours on Thursday and Friday.

The coastal districts of Bengal were already experiencing moderate to heavy rain and gusty winds by Thursday morning, with Kolkata witnessing an overcast sky and intermittent showers. According to PTI, fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea, with gale-force winds reaching 90-100 kmph and gusts of up to 110 kmph prevailing over the northwest Bay of Bengal. The wind speed is expected to increase further to 100-110 kmph, with gusts of up to 120 kmph, till Friday morning before gradually subsiding.

In preparation for the cyclone, public transport services to and from Kolkata's suburbs may be disrupted, with Eastern and South Eastern railways cancelling numerous trains. More than 170 express and passenger trains, scheduled to run between October 23 and 27, have been cancelled, affecting routes across the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone, which covers West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand.

Additionally, the Eastern Railway (ER) has announced it will not operate any EMU local trains from Sealdah station on its south and Hasnabad sections from 8 PM on Thursday until 10 AM on Friday. A total of 68 suburban trains on the Howrah division have also been cancelled for Friday morning, according to officials.

As per PTI, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is on high alert, mobilising vessels and aircraft to respond to any emergencies over the Bay of Bengal. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed several teams across south Bengal to tackle potential emergency situations.

Ferry services in the Sunderbans region, spanning North and South 24 Parganas, and along the Hooghly River in Kolkata and nearby areas, will remain suspended due to the approaching storm, officials said.

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has set up a control room at its headquarters and cancelled the leave of essential staff to ensure smooth operations during the anticipated bad weather. PTI reported that authorities are taking every precaution to minimise disruptions and manage the impact of the cyclone effectively.

(With inputs from PTI)