New Delhi: As Cyclone Dana approaches, bringing heavy rains to Odisha and West Bengal, authorities have undertaken extensive evacuation efforts to move hundreds of thousands from coastal districts to safety ahead of the cyclone’s expected landfall tonight.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that Cyclone Dana has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm, with wind speeds that may reach up to 120 kmph. The storm poses significant threats to nearly half of Odisha’s population and is expected to cause extremely heavy rainfall in Bengal today and tomorrow. The IMD predicts that the cyclone will make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha.

The regions anticipated to be hardest hit include the districts of North and South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah, and Hooghly in Bengal, all expecting extremely heavy to very heavy rain. In response, flight operations at Kolkata airport have been suspended from 6 pm Thursday until 9 am Friday, with similar measures at Bhubaneswar airport from 5 pm today until Friday morning.

Odisha’s response has been robust, with approximately 300,000 people evacuated by Wednesday evening. West Bengal has also been proactive, relocating over 114,000 individuals to shelters. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stated that over 30 percent of the targeted 10 lakh evacuations had been completed by Wednesday, with the remainder expected to be moved by Thursday morning. He emphasized that three districts are likely to be severely affected and assured that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure the safety of the populace.

In light of the approaching cyclone, nearly 200 train services running through the affected areas have been canceled as part of the broader safety measures implemented by the state authorities.