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Cyclone Dana forms, likely to cause heavy to extremely heavy rainfall

ByJayashree Nandi
Oct 23, 2024 09:31 AM IST

The authorities have ordered the closure of schools across Odisha’s 14 districts and asked tourists and pilgrims to leave Puri and fishermen to not venture into the sea

Cyclone Dana has formed over the east-central Bay of Bengal and is likely to move north-westwards and intensify into a severe cyclone over the northwest Bay of Bengal by early Thursday. It was expected to cross North Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island from Thursday night to Friday morning with a wind speed of 100-110 km per hour gusting at 120 km per hour, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The Bahabalpur Jetty area in Odisha’s Balasore ahead of cyclone Dana landfall. (PTI)
The Bahabalpur Jetty area in Odisha’s Balasore ahead of cyclone Dana landfall. (PTI)

The authorities have ordered the closure of schools across Odisha’s 14 districts from Wednesday to Friday and asked tourists and pilgrims to leave Puri and fishermen to not venture into the sea as they braced for the severe cyclonic storm expected to make landfall late on Thursday. Rescue teams have been put on standby as IMD said heavy to extremely heavy rainfall and the storm in cyclone-prone Odisha could damage houses, roads, crops, and power lines, causing flooding and landslides.

A deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal earlier moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 18 km per hour for six hours before intensifying into a cyclonic storm Dana. It was centred about 560 km south-east of Paradip (Odisha), 630 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal) and 630 km south-southeast of Khepupara (Bangladesh).

The weather system was expected to bring heavy rainfall (7-11 cm) at isolated places in Odisha’s Balasore, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur, Puri, Khorda, Ganjam, and Gajapati on Wednesday. Extremely heavy rainfall (≥ 21 cm) was likely at isolated places in Baleswar, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsingpur Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Puri districts of Odisha and West Bengal’s South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata and Bankura districts on Thursday and Friday.

Heavy rainfall was also likely in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Vishakhapatnam districts on Thursday and Friday.

The impact of the cyclone was mainly expected in Odisha’s Baleswar, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khorda, Mayurbhanj, Kendujhar, Jajpur, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and West Bengal South and North 24 Parganas, East and West Medinipur, Howrah, Hooghly, Kolkata, and Bankura.

The tropical cyclone heat potential of >100 kj/cm2 over the northeast Bay of Bengal was high and favourable for cyclone development. The sea surface temperature of 29 to 32 °C over the Bay of Bengal was also above normal.

IMD director general M Mohapatra on Sunday said Odisha and adjoining West Bengal coasts have been put on the pre-cyclone watch and that the maximum impact was likely to be there. “In Odisha heavy rains are likely to begin on October 23 [Wednesday] evening. On October 24 [Thursday] and 25 [Friday], there will be heavy to very heavy (7 to 20 cm) and extremely heavy (over 20 cm) rainfall in Odisha and coastal West Bengal.”

Mohapatra said some places can record over 30 cm of rainfall. “On the 24th [Thursday], the maximum wind speed can go up to 100 to 120 km per hour which means it will be a severe cyclone. I am not expecting its intensification to a very severe cyclone as yet.”

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