Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to stay at the state secretariat Nabanna on Thursday night to monitor the cyclonic storm ‘Dana’. Addressing the media, Mamata said, “Life is very precious and we have to protect it.

With the weather department predicting flash floods, both Odisha and West Bengal governments remain on high alert and train and flight operations in both the states have been suspended.

The landfall process of severe cyclonic storm ‘Dana’ is underway and will continue for the next 1-2 hours. After that, it is expected to move nearly west-northwest wards across north Odisha and weaken gradually into a cyclonic storm by the forenoon of today.

Cyclone Dana is expected to hammer the low-lying regions of West Bengal and Odisha, home to around 150 million people, as a “severe cyclonic storm” late on Thursday or Friday morning, India’s weather bureau said. At least 1.1 million people on India’s eastern coast were fleeing to storm shelters inland, just hours before the storm’s arrival.

Dana poses a threat to nearly half of Odisha's population, with West Bengal also set to experience extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall on Friday.

The storm began making landfall on the Odisha coast on Thursday night, with landfall expected to continue into Friday morning. Heavy rains and gusty winds are likely to hit southern West Bengal so the people were evacuated in preparation for severe cyclonic storm Dana.

Authorities in Odisha and West Bengal evacuated lakhs of people, shut schools, cancelled more than 400 trains and suspended flight operations as they braced on Thursday for severe cyclonic storm

Odisha and West Bengal are evacuating around 12 lakh people ahead of severe cyclonic storm Dana, which is approaching the coast. Officials have expedited evacuations and set up cyclone centers, aiming for zero casualties amid heavy rainfall and rough.

West Bengal and Odisha are bracing for the impact of Cyclone Dana which is expected to make landfall near Balasore on the night of October 24 and early morning of October 25. Popular sea beaches of Odisha wore a deserted look even as NDRF,

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the severe cyclone ‘Dana’, with wind speeds expected to reach up to 120 kmph (75 mph), is likely to hit between Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district and Dhamra Port in Bhadrak district by Friday morning.

Cyclone Dana is rapidly approaching the coasts of Odisha and West Bengal, with severe weather expected. Authorities are on high alert, implementing precautionary measures to ensure the safety of residents as heavy rains and winds are forecasted.