Severe Cyclonic Storm “Dana” makes landfall in Odisha, India
Tropical Cyclone “Dana” swept across the Odisha coast early Friday, October 25, 2024, after making landfall near Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamara, bringing intense winds of up to 120 km/h (75 mph) and rainfall across Odisha and West Bengal. Extremely heavy rainfall is forecast for several regions with Red, Yellow, and Orange warnings in effect for over 100 districts across Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.
Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone "Dana" at 04:30 UTC on October 25, 2024. Image credit: GEOKOMPSAT, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers
Severe Cyclonic Storm “Dana” made landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamara at approximately 00:10 LT on Friday.
The storm crossed the north Odisha coast close to Habalikhati Nature Camp in Bhitarkanika and Dhamara from 01:30 LT to 03:30 LT, with maximum wind speeds of 110 – 120 km/h (68 – 75 mph) and gusts of up to 130 km/h (81 mph).
As of 08:30 LT, the storm was centered approximately 30 km (18.6 miles) NE of Bhadrak and about 50 km (31 miles) NNW of Dhamara. Maximum sustained winds near the center registered at 90 – 100 km/h (56 – 62 mph), with gusts of up to 100 km/h (62 mph).
Strong winds produced by Dana uprooted trees, damaged several homes across coastal Odisha and West Bengal, and left numerous roads impassable.
Several regions across Odisha and Bengal were inundated by heavy rainfall from the storm, with IMD issuing Red, Yellow, and Orange alerts for over 100 districts across Odisha, West Bengal, and southern Jharkhand.
According to the regional Met Office at Alipore, Kolkata, the city recorded approximately 100 mm (3.9 inches) of rainfall in the 24 hours leading up to 11:30 LT on Friday.
Nearly 1.5 million people living in Dana’s path in Odisha and West Bengal have evacuated their homes and moved to temporary relief camps equipped with food and water — an impressive effort. This includes more than 1 million from 14 districts in Odisha and over 300 000 from coastal areas of West Bengal. 000 people were evacuated to shelters in West Bengal.
According to Mohan Charan Majhi, Chief Minister of Odisha, the state successfully achieved its zero-casualty target for the cyclone.
However, one elderly woman was reported dead in a shelter in Kendrapara district; her death is suspected to be from cardiac arrest, though confirmation is still pending.
Restoration and relief efforts commenced on Friday following Dana’s landfall, with National Disaster Management Force (NDRF) teams clearing debris from various villages in Dhamra district. Residents across Odisha experienced strong winds, while those in coastal areas faced heavy rain and rough seas due to the storm.
In the 24 hours leading to 08:30 LT, several regions in Odisha and Bengal recorded rainfall ranging from 70 – 160 mm (2.8 – 6.3 inches). Chandbali in Bhadrak district and Rajkanika in Kendrapara recorded approximately 160 mm (6.3 inches) of rain, Nawana in Mayurbhanj received 140 mm (5.5 inches), and Marsaghai, Basudevpur, and Oupada each recorded 110 mm (4.3 inches), while Rajnagar received 100 mm (3.9 inches).
Parts of Bengal, including Howrah, Diamond Harbour, Kalaikunda, and Uluberia, received rainfall between 70 – 90 mm (2.8 – 3.5 inches) over 24 hours.
Airports in Kolkata and Odisha resumed flight operations as of 08:00 LT on Friday. Railway operations across the states have also resumed post-landfall.
According to IMD, heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast for the following districts of Odisha through Friday: Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Angul, Nayagarh, Khorda, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur. Extremely heavy isolated rainfall of over 210 mm (8.3 inches) is likely over the Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, and Bhadrak districts of Odisha on Friday.
Light to moderate rainfall is expected in most areas, with heavy to very heavy rainfall in some places and extremely heavy rainfall in isolated areas over East and West Medinipur districts of Gangetic West Bengal on Friday. Light to moderate rainfall is also expected in many places, with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall in southern Jharkhand.
A storm surge of up to 1 m (3.3 feet) above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas in Bhadrak and Balasore districts of Odisha and East Medinipur district of West Bengal. A storm surge of up to 0.5 m (1.6 feet) above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low-lying areas in South 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.
Fishing operations in the Bay of Bengal were suspended until noon, with fishermen advised to avoid the northwest Bay of Bengal and coastal areas off Odisha and West Bengal on Friday.
References:
1 IMD Press Release- IMD – Issued at 07:30 UTC on October 25, 2024
2 Cyclone Dana live updates: Elderly woman dies at Odisha shelter – HT – October 25, 2024
3 Cyclone Dana aftermath LIVE: Flight ops resume in Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata airport – The Hindu – October 25, 2024
4 1.5 million evacuating ahead of Severe Cyclonic Storm “Dana” landfall in Odisha, India – The Watchers – October 24, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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