Severe cyclonic storm Dana made landfall in Odisha between the Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra shortly after midnight on Thursday, killing at least one person in West Bengal, reported NDTV.

The storm, with wind speeds exceeding 110 kilometres per hour, caused heavy rainfall across Odisha and parts of West Bengal, India Today reported.

“It [Dana] is likely to move nearly west-northwestwards across north Odisha and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by the forenoon of today [Friday],” the India Meteorological Department said. “The system is under continuous surveillance of the Doppler weather radar at Paradip.”

Advertisement

The radar, also known as weather surveillance radar, detects and tracks rainfall and other weather conditions.

Trees were uprooted and power infrastructure was hit in Bhadrak and Kendrapara districts due to gusty winds and heavy rainfall amid the landfall process, The Hindu reported. Several roads were also blocked in the districts.

In West Bengal, one person died in the Patharpratima area of South 24 Parganas while working on a cable during the storm, reported NDTV.

Ahead of landfall on Thursday, Odisha evacuated over 5,84,000 persons from vulnerable areas along the coast to cyclone shelters. The West Bengal government also evacuated over 2,50,000 persons in preparation for landfall, The Times of India reported.

Schools and other educational institutions were instructed to remain closed on Friday in Odisha and West Bengal due to the cyclone.

Advertisement

On Friday, the weather agency predicted extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas over Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur, Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Khurda, and Puri districts in Odisha due to the cyclone.

It also forecast extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura districts in West Bengal.