The state of Odisha braces for impact as Cyclone Dana approaches its eastern coastline, raising concerns of widespread disruption. Expected to land within the next 48 hours, authorities have ramped up preparations, issuing red alerts for coastal districts and ensuring the evacuation of vulnerable areas.

The state of Odisha braces for impact as Cyclone Dana approaches its eastern coastline, raising concerns of widespread disruption. Expected to make landfall within the next 48 hours, authorities have ramped up preparations, issuing red alerts for coastal districts and ensuring the evacuation of vulnerable areas.

"Dana" was selected from the list submitted by Saudi Arabia. Each country offers a set of names that are used in sequential order for naming future storms. These names are intended to be easy to remember, non-offensive, and culturally neutral across the region.

Cyclone Dana follows other notable storms in the 2024 season and continues a long-standing tradition of assigning names to cyclones to improve public awareness. The practice of naming cyclones helps facilitate communication and reduces confusion in media reports, especially when multiple storms are occurring simultaneously in different regions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning on October 23 (Wednesday) that the cyclonic circulation over the central Andaman Sea is projected to intensify into Cyclone Dana and is expected to approach the northwest Bay of Bengal, off the coastlines of Odisha and West Bengal, by October 24 morning. Off the coast of West Bengal and Odisha, wind speeds are predicted to start at 60 km/h on October 23 and increase to 120 km/h from October 24 night to October 25 morning. The weather agency warns West Bengali and Odisha fisherman to stay out of the water on October 23. It has been recommended that fishermen avoid the Andaman Sea until October 21, the Central Bay of Bengal between October 22 and 24, and the north Bay of Bengal between October 24 and 25.

While the exact path of Cyclone Dana remains uncertain, it is projected to affect not only Odisha but also parts of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, with heavy rainfall likely to cause waterlogging and flash floods in some regions.Authorities urge the public to stay indoors, follow official advisories, and prepare for potential power outages as Cyclone Dana makes its approach.