Cyclone Dana landfall tomorrow: Odisha, West Bengal brace for impact; see photos

Cyclone Dana is likely to make landfall with a wind speed of 100-120 km per hour between Thursday night and Friday morning, causing extremely heavy rain in seven coastal districts.

NDRF teams in Odisha in West Bengal are on standby ahead of the cyclone. Additional rescue and relief teams of the Army, Navy and Coast Guard along with ships and aircraft have been kept in readiness.

As many as 6,000 cyclone shelters have been kept ready with basic amenities to accommodate the evacuees in Odisha.

Odisha govt is planning to evacuate up to 10 lakh people, if required, from vulnerable districts with severe cyclonic storm Dana likely to make landfall in Kendrapada district on Thursday night.

In preparation for the predicted landfall of Cyclone Dana along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts, two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft on Wednesday transported 150 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and relief materials to Bhubaneswar, according to an IAF official.

Authorities at Kolkata airport will decide on Wednesday whether to suspend operations starting Thursday evening if forecasts predict strong winds and heavy rain as Cyclone Dana nears the Odisha-Bengal coast between Thursday night and Friday morning.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee said affected farmers, whose crops are damaged, can claim compensation as per the state scheme.

Tourists have been asked to leave Digha and other coastal towns by Wednesday noon amid Cyclone Dana furry.

Commotion of passengers at bus stands and railway station as well as the airport in Bhubaneswar, as the visitors converged to make an exit before the cyclone hits.

With a severe cyclonic storm looming over Odisha, Nandankanan Zoological Park on Tuesday conducted a mock drill as part of its preparation to counter its possible impact.