Bhubaneswar: With severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ set to hit the Odisha coast by October 25, people of the state are anxious to know the exact place where it will make landfall after gathering strength over the sea.
As the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has been issuing updates about the intensity and direction of the cyclonic system at regular intervals, all eyes are now set on the weather agency’s predictions.
Amid measures being taken on war footing by the state government to deal with the situation, Director General of IMD Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Tuesday said that cyclone is likely to have maximum impact on north Odisha and West Bengal.
Noting that a depression has already formed over Bay of Bengal, he said the system is likely to intensify into deep depression and subsequently into a cyclonic storm.
Mohapatra said the system will gradually intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm and reach the coast between Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal during night of October 24 and morning of October 25 as a severe cyclonic storm.
The wind speed is likely to be in the range of 100-110 kmph and gusting 120 kmph during the time of landfall, he said.
As per the assessment and forecast made so far, the impact of the cyclone is likely to be more on the entire stretch from Puri to West Bengal coast, the IMD DG said, adding that north Odisha districts are likely to be affected more. Heavy to extremely heavy rain coupled with high-velocity wind is likely to batter these areas, he said.
However, the exact location of landfall will be made clear in indue course as the system moves forward. So far, there has been no change in the forecast about wind speed which is likely to be around 100 to 110 kmph and gusting up to 120 kmph, Mohapatra said.