Cyclone Dana is poised to strengthen and make landfall on India’s eastern coast by Thursday, prompting preparations in Odisha and nearby states. The storm may bring wind speeds of up to 120 kph, raising concerns for the region.

Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Storm, may be called Dana as given by Qatar, might be formed on October 23 over East Central Bay of Bengal and is very likely to move northwestwards and reach northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha-West Bengal coasts by October 24 morning, IMD said in its latest bulletin on Sunday.

As Odisha and West Bengal are bracing for a severe cyclonic storm, governments of both states have decided to evacuate people and close educational institutions in vulnerable areas

Odisha and West Bengal are preparing for an impending cyclonic storm named ‘Dana’, expected to make landfall on the intervening night of October 24 and October 25. The name ‘Dana’ is given by Qatar as part of an international cyclone naming system overseen by the World Meteorological Organization.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a low-pressure area has been created in the east-central Bay of Bengal. This would eventually move northwestward and is expected to highly intensify into a possibly severe cyclone storm by October 23,

Cyclone Dana is expected to develop into a severe cyclonic storm by October 23, impacting Odisha and West Bengal.

Odisha says it is “fully prepared” to face the cyclone, West Bengal also predicted to receive very heavy rainfall.