Flight services at Bhubaneswar's Biju Patnaik International Airport resumed at 8 am on Friday following temporary suspension due to Cyclone Dana, according to airport authorities. This decision came after the cyclone made landfall along the Odisha coast.
Similarly, flight operations resumed at Kolkata's Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, which had been halted on Thursday as a safety measure against the cyclone’s impact.
Cyclone Dana struck early in the morning, between Bhitarkanika in Kendrapara district and Dhamra in Bhadrak district, with wind speeds reaching up to 110 kmph. Bhubaneswar’s airport had initially suspended flights from 5 pm on October 24 until 9 am on October 25, but services were able to resume an hour earlier than expected.
High winds, rough seas, and heavy rains affected the Dhamra and Bhadrak regions during the cyclone's landfall. Areas like Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Balasore, and Jagatsinghpur experienced strong winds and intense rainfall.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi monitored the landfall situation of Cyclone Dana alongside Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari and Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja in Bhubaneswar. The Chief Minister confirmed that approximately 584,000 people had been relocated to shelters for safety.
Bus services at Bhubaneswar’s Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bus Terminal were also affected by the cyclone's impact. In Bhadrak, assistant fisheries officer Sandeep Kumar Behera noted that all boats were anchored safely, and damage assessments would be conducted post-cyclone, with appropriate actions taken based on government protocols.
Manorama Mohanty, Director of the IMD, stated that Cyclone Dana maintains a strong intensity with wind speeds between 100-110 kmph. The cyclone is predicted to move northwest across northern Odisha and gradually weaken.
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