The cyclonic storm is heading towards the Odisha-West Bengal coast and is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika park and Dhamra port. IMD has issued an alert for several districts.

Bhubaneswar/Kolkata/IBNS: Odisha and West Bengal are set to brace cyclone Dana which has already disrupted normal lives in the two eastern states of India.

Severe Cyclonic Storm Dana will hit between Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in Odisha from Thursday night to Friday morning. Wind speeds will reach up to 120 kmph. West Bengal and Odisha have started evacuations and set up shelters.

Schools have been shut and over 150 trains cancelled as Odisha and West Bengal brace for Cyclone "Dana", which is likely to cross the coasts between Puri and Sagar Island in the early hours of October 25 with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph.

Cyclone Dana is intensifying in the Bay of Bengal and is expected to make landfall between Odisha and West Bengal on October 25, bringing wind speeds up to 120 km/h, heavy rainfall, and severe weather.

The deep depression has transformed into a cyclonic storm which is heading towards Odisha-Bengal coast. Named as ‘Dana’, the cyclone, is likely to hit the coast on October 25 early morning near Puri and Sagar islands.

IMD announced that a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has strengthened into a cyclonic storm called ‘Dana.’

The bulletin says, “it is very likely to move northwestwards and intensify into a severe cyclonic storm over northwest Bay of Bengal by early morning of October 24 and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during night of October 24 to morning of October 25,

A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal has intensified into Cyclone Dana, expected to reach severe status before hitting the eastern coast between Odisha and West Bengal on October 25, with wind speeds up to 120 kmph,

It is expected to cross the northern Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island during the night of October 24 and the morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds reaching 100-110 km/h.

As Odisha and West Bengal brace for Cyclone Dana, which will likely make landfall in Odisha's Puri and West Bengal's Sagar Island during Thursday night and Friday, both states have started evacuating people from areas likely to be affected by the cyclone.