Cyclone Dana: Great danger signal number 10 issued at 3 ports in Odisha

The cyclone, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 120 kmph (75 mph), is likely to hit between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha by early Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Bhubaneswar: With the severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ expected to make landfall by early Friday, three ports in Odisha have issued great danger signal number 10, a senior IMD official said Wednesday.

The cyclone, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 120 kmph (75 mph), is likely to hit between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha by early Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

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According to Regional Meteorological Centre, Bhubaneswar Director Manorama Mohanty, great danger signal number 10 has been issued at Dhamra, Paradip and Puri ports, and great danger signal number 8 at Gopalpur port.

The great danger signal number 10 is issued at ports that are expected to experience severe weather due to a storm of great intensity, with wind speeds of 89 kmph or more. It also indicated that the cyclonic storm is expected to cross over or near the ports.

Similarly, the port warning great danger signal number 8 indicates wind blowing at a speed of 63-87 kmph.

Port operations in Paradip and Dhamra remained suspended in the wake of the impending cyclone that is expected to cross between Dhamra in Bhadrak district and Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district.

Dhamra is likely to be worst hit by the cyclone as the eye of the storm is likely to pass through the port town, Odisha’s Higher Education Minister Suryabanshi Suraj told reporters after reviewing the preparedness at the port.

“The eye of cyclone Dana will cross through Dhamra due to which the entire area is in danger zone. People are being evacuated and the port authorities have made arrangements for minimising the impact of the calamity,” Suraj said, adding that he would spend Wednesday night at Dhamra and visit several places to oversee preparedness.

According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), in an evening bulletin, said that cyclonic storm Dana over the Bay of Bengal moved northwestwards with a speed of 12 kmph during the past 6 hours and lay centred at about 460 km southeast of Paradip (Odisha), 490 km south-southeast of Dhamra (Odisha) and 540 km south-southeast of Sagar Island (West Bengal).

“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 close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara (Odisha) during the night of October 24 to morning of October 25, 2024 as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph,” the IMD said.