According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Cyclone Dana struck Coastal Odisha with powerful winds and heavy rain after midnight on Thursday, landing between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra. Cyclone Dana hit the land between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district and Dhamra in Bhadrak district at approximately 12:10 am.
Cyclone Dana Update
Wind speeds are forecasted to reach 120 kmph as the cyclone's centre makes landfall, lasting approximately four to five hours. The Doppler weather radar at Paradip is closely monitoring the system.
IMD Predictions
An IMD official predicts that similar conditions will occur in certain areas of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Dhenkanal, Khordha, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, and Angul from Friday morning to Saturday morning.
The IMD has also predicted that there will be scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall (7 to 20 cm) in the districts of Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Balasore, and Mayurbhanj, with isolated extremely heavy rainfall (over 20 cm).
IMD Bhubaneswar's regional director, Manorama Mohanty, mentioned that the landfall would persist until Friday morning, following which the cyclone would diminish and change course towards Dhenkanal and Angul districts rather than Keonjhar.
Odisha Government's Statement
The initial plan of the Odisha government was to evacuate a million individuals. Nonetheless, authorities adjusted the forecast when they realized Cyclone Dana would not be as strong as initially thought.
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Mohan Charan Majhi, the chief minister of Odisha, mentioned that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inquired about the state's readiness to manage the effects of the cyclone. Majhi mentioned that around 5.84 lakh individuals were removed from at-risk, low-lying areas in coastal regions.