MORE than 1.1 million people on India's eastern coast are being evacuated to storm shelters inland as Cyclone Dana approaches, officials said on Thursday.
The cyclone is expected to hit the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha states, affecting a region home to around 150 million people. India’s weather bureau has classified Dana as a "severe cyclonic storm" and predicts that it will make landfall late on Thursday.
Winds are expected to reach up to 120 kilometres per hour (74 miles per hour). Major airports, including Kolkata's key travel hub, are shutting down overnight due to the storm, with heavy rain already hitting the city.
The storm's eye is forecast to make landfall early Friday near the port of Dhamra, located 230 kilometres (140 miles) southwest of Kolkata.
Neighbouring Bangladesh is also expected to be impacted. Interim government leader Muhammad Yunus said the country is making "extensive preparations" ahead of the storm.
The storm surge could bring waves up to two metres (6.5 feet) above normal tide levels, threatening to flood large coastal areas.
Odisha's health minister, Mukesh Mahaling, told AFP that "nearly a million people from the coastal areas are being evacuated to cyclone centres." In West Bengal, government minister Bankim Chandra Hazra said: "More than 100,000 people have so far been shifted to safer places."
Businesses in Puri, a popular beach destination, have been ordered to close, and tourists have been asked to leave. "All efforts are being made to face the cyclone and save lives," said Puri district magistrate Siddharth Swain.
Kolkata airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria confirmed that flights will be suspended overnight due to predicted severe winds and heavy rain. Bhubaneshwar airport will do the same, with train services being cancelled and ferries ordered to remain in port.
In Bangladesh, disaster minister Faruk-e-Azam stated that the country is on "high alert," but evacuation orders have not been issued, as the storm is expected to have its greatest impact on India. "We are closely monitoring the cyclone's progress," he said.
Cyclones are a frequent threat in the northern Indian Ocean, and scientists have warned that these storms are intensifying due to global warming. Rising ocean temperatures increase water vapour, which energizes storms, leading to stronger winds and heavier rainfall.
However, improved forecasting and better evacuation planning have significantly reduced death tolls in recent years. In May, Cyclone Remal claimed 48 lives in India and 17 in Bangladesh, according to official reports.
(With inputs from AFP)
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