Cyclone Dana has struck Odisha, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to the region

Cyclone Dana made landfall early today, hitting the Bhitarkanika and Dhamra coasts in Odisha, India, with authorities evacuating one million people, shutting schools, and halting flights and train services. The cyclone, with wind speeds of 110 km/h, began its landfall process around 12:30 am local time and is expected to continue for several hours, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). The storm moved north-northwest at a speed of 15 km/h before making landfall between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara and Dhamra in Bhadrak district, IMD officials reported.

Senior IMD scientist Umashankar Das stated that as the cyclone's center reached land, wind speeds were anticipated to increase to 120 km/h. The landfall process was expected to last about five hours. The IMD issued a "red warning" for heavy to very heavy rainfall in seven districts: Mayurbhanj, Cuttack, Jajpur, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur.

In response, Odisha and West Bengal cancelled over 400 trains and suspended flights at Bhubaneswar and Kolkata airports. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured that his government was well-prepared and had taken necessary precautions to minimize the impact of the cyclone. In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said 3.5 lakh people had been identified for evacuation, with 2.43 lakh already in shelters. She spent the night at the state secretariat, personally overseeing the situation.

Cyclones, equivalent to hurricanes and typhoons in other regions, are frequent and dangerous in the northern Indian Ocean. Experts warn that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is intensifying these storms, with warmer ocean temperatures fueling stronger winds and heavier rainfall. Despite these threats, improved forecasting and evacuation efforts have significantly reduced death tolls in recent years. In May, Cyclone Remal claimed at least 48 lives in India and 17 in Bangladesh.