Cyclone Dana: All flight operations from Kolkata, Bhubaneswar airports suspended for 15 hours

All flight operations from Kolkata and Bhubaneswar, capital cities of West Bengal and Odisha, will remain suspended from October 24 evening to October 25 morning as the region braces for Cyclone ‘Dana’. 

IndiGo in an advisory said, “Bhubaneswar Airport will be temporarily closed from 1700 HRS IST today until 0900 HRS IST on Oct 25 owing to anticipated heavy rains and strong winds. If your flight is impacted, you can opt for a refund or an alternate flight by visiting https://bit.ly/31lwD2y. Stay informed on flight status for flights operating as scheduled via https://bit.ly/31paVKQ. Wishing for a speedy return to normalcy.” 

Air India also issued an advisory for its passengers. “Kolkata airport will remain closed from 1800 IST dated 24th Oct 2024 till 0900 IST dated 25th Oct 2024 due to severe cyclone conditions. All Air India flights to and from Kolkata are cancelled during this period. If your flight has been rescheduled, please click here https://airindia.com/in/en/manage/self-reaccomodation.html to select an alternate option. For assistance with cancelled flights, please call our 24/7 Contact Centre at 01169329333 / 01169329999,” the post on X (formally Twitter) read. 

Both states have also closed schools in the areas that are expected to be bear the brunt of the storm and asked fishermen not to venture out to sea. 

Local TV footage showed fishermen securing boats and officials escorting away residents in coastal areas to shelters as heavy winds and rains pounded parts of Odisha today. 

The Adani group’s Dhamra port in Odisha’s Bhadrak region has also suspended operations, Reuters reported. 

The cyclone currently over the Bay of Bengal is expected to cross the coasts of the states between midnight and tomorrow morning with wind speeds of 100-110 kmph reaching up to 120 kph, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. 

“We have evacuated approximately 50,000 people so far, and a total of around 300,000 people are likely to be evacuated," Special Relief Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh told Reuters. 

West Bengal has also issued a red alert for three districts located close to the area where the cyclone is expected to make landfall. The state’s capital city of Kolkata remained overcast on Thursday with short spells of rain. 

According to IMD’s prediction, Cyclone Dana is expected to cause significant rainfall in the southern districts of Bengal, including the North and South 24 paraganas, Medinipur, Jhargram, Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly. In Odisha, Balasore, Mayurbhanj and Jaipur districts will feel the impact. 

IMD has warned fishermen not to go out to sea because of cyclone’s wind speed of 120 kmph from the night of October 24 to the morning of October 25. 

The weather department indicated that Cyclone Dana, currently positioned about 420 km southeast of Paradip, is predicted to impact areas between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port by October 25 morning. 

More than 170 express and passenger trains have been cancelled across the South Eastern Railway (SER) jurisdiction, with additional cancellations possible as the situation evolves.