Odisha and West Bengal are preparing for the impending Cyclone Dana, which is projected to make landfall between Puri and Sagar Island early on October 25 with wind speeds reaching 120 km/h. This morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that a deep depression over the east-central Bay of Bengal has escalated into a cyclonic storm, now officially named “Dana.” At 5:30 am, Cyclone Dana was located 560 km southeast of Paradip in Odisha and 630 km south-southeast of Sagar Island in West Bengal.
In Odisha, authorities have closed all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, across 14 districts until October 25. Under the direction of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the state has put coastal areas on high alert and cancelled leave for government employees in preparation for the cyclone. The Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire service personnel are on standby, especially in coastal districts like Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, and Khorda, which are expected to be the hardest-hit areas.
Similarly, West Bengal has ordered the closure of schools in seven districts through October 26 as a precautionary measure. These districts include South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, and several neighbouring districts such as Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee emphasized the importance of safety, noting that schools and colleges may be used as emergency shelters for those impacted by the cyclone. “We do not want to take any risk,” she said, affirming that the state is prepared for Cyclone Dana.
In light of Cyclone Dana’s approach, the South Eastern Railway (SER) zone, covering West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, has cancelled over 150 express and passenger trains. These include major routes such as Howrah-Secunderabad Falaknuma Express, Kamakhya-Yesvantpur AC Express, Howrah-Puri Shatabdi Express, Howrah-Bhubaneswar Shatabdi Express, and Howrah-Yesvantpur Express. Officials stated that trains scheduled to depart between October 23 and 25 are affected, with the potential for further cancellations if conditions worsen.
Cyclone Dana, named by Qatar, translates to “generosity” in Arabic. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) states that naming cyclones helps streamline communication and historical documentation, particularly useful when multiple storms occur at once.
