Cyclone Dana impact: Kolkata airport to suspend flight ops for 15 hours. Details here

Cyclone Dana is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in neighbouring Odisha early Friday.

Cyclone Dana: Flight operations at the Kolkata Airport will remain suspended for 15 hours from 6 pm on Thursday in view of the possible impact of cyclone Dana, PTI reported.

Cyclone Dana: Scientist Sourish Bandopadhyay shows the progress of cyclonic storm 'Dana' on a digital screen, at the regional meteorogical centre in Kolkata, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.(PTI)

The step has been taken keeping in mind the safety of passengers, airline employees, various equipment, navigational aids and infrastructure, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said on Wednesday. Follow LIVE updates here.

“In view of Cyclone Dana's impact on the coastal region of West Bengal, including Kolkata, it has been decided to suspend the flight operations from 6 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25 due to predicted heavy winds and heavy to very heavy rainfall at Kolkata,” an AAI spokesperson was quoted as saying.

According to the India Meteorological Department, Cyclone Dana likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port in neighbouring Odisha early Friday.

It said that the landfall process will start from the night of October 24 and continue till the morning of October 25. The maximum speed during the landfall process is likely to be around 120 kmph, as per the IMD.

IMD Scientist Habibur Rahman Biswas told ANI that the cyclone is approximately 570 km from Sagar Island (West Bengal), 490 km from Paradip (Odisha), and 520 km from Dhamara (Odisha).

A total of 56 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been positioned in five states, including Odisha and West Bengal, in view of the cyclone.

There are 20 teams in Odisha, out of which one is in reserve, while of the 17 in West Bengal, 13 are in reserve. Apart from the NDRF, the respective state disaster response forces are also deployed in these areas.

Both, the Odisha and West Bengal governments, have said they have made arrangements for evacuation of two million people from the areas to be hit by Cyclone Dhana. As a precautionary measure, the West Bengal and Odisha governments have closed all educational institutions and offices for three days since Wednesday.

(Inputs from PTI)