Severe cyclonic storm Dana starts landfall process at Odisha coast

Severe cyclonic storm Dana has started landfall off the coast of Odisha with wind speeds gusting at 120 kms per hour, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.
The process started past midnight and is likely to continue till morning. The storm lay about 50 km east-northeast of Paradip in Odisha, 40 km south-southeast of Dhamara and 160 km southwest of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
“It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during the next 3 to 4 hours as a severe Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph”, the weather department said in an X post.
The landfall process would continue till Friday, October 25 morning. The system is under continuous surveillance by the Doppler Weather Radar at Paradip, the weather body added.
Dana is threatening to impact nearly half of Odisha’s population, with Bengal expected to witness extremely heavy to very heavy rain on Friday as well.
Following the landfall early on Friday, heavy rain and gusty winds hit Odisha Bhadrak district.
The Odisha government has also issued helpline numbers that the common citizens can dial in case they need any assistance, by reaching out to control rooms set up in affected districts.
Control room helpline numbers for Balasore (06782-262286/261077), Mayurbhanj (06792-252759/252941), Bhadrak (06784-251881), Jajpur (06728-222648), Kendrapada (06727-232803), Keonjhar (06766-255437), Jagatsinghpur (06724-220368), Cuttuck (0671-2507842), Dhenkanal (06762-226507/221376), Angul (06764-230980), Puri (06752-223237), Khurda (06755-220002), Ganjam (06811-263978), Nayagada (06753-252978) apart from the toll-free number 1929 for the Bhubaneshwar Municipal Corporation have been released.