Kolkata: Cyclone Dana is gathering pace over the Bay of Bengal, and is expected to hit the coast between Odisha’s Puri and Sagar Island in West Bengal during the night of October 24 and early hours of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm.
While north Odisha may bear the maximum brunt of this latest cyclone, coastal West Bengal and adjoining districts, including Kolkata, may experience heavy rain and high wind speeds.
Anticipating severe disruption over the next four-five days, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah requesting him to defer home Bengal’s Ranji Trophy and Under-23 meet matches by a couple of days.
Bengal is scheduled to face Kerala in a Ranji Trophy fixture at the Jadavpur University 2nd campus ground from October 26, and the U-23 team is slated to take on Railways at Kalyani’s Bengal Cricket Academy ground on Sunday.
Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) doesn’t have to think on similar lines as far as the Ranji Trophy is concerned. Having played its previous game at home, Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium, Odisha will be travelling to Vadodara, where they will face Baroda from October 26.
Ahead of Dana’s landfall, Kolkata and its adjoining districts were lashed by heavy showers on Wednesday.
Also Read: Tourists Leave Odisha’s Puri Amid Squall@100kmph Forecast During Cyclone ‘Dana’ Landfall
“Cyclone Dana is likely to cross the northern Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island between Thursday night and Friday morning,” CAB stated.
Like in Odisha, West Bengal government is also bracing for Cyclone Dana and its possible impact. Schools in eight districts have been directed to be closed from October 23 to 26.
Also Read: Cyclone ‘Dana’: Odisha Readies 750 Relief Shelters, Leave Of Doctors Cancelled; Check Other Measures