KOLKATA, India: Cyclone Dana made a powerful landfall on India’s eastern coast, impacting Odisha and West Bengal with winds reaching up to 120 kilometers per hour.
The cyclone has uprooted trees, damaged power lines, and caused severe coastal flooding, leading officials to issue ongoing warnings for more intense weather. In anticipation, over 1.1 million people were evacuated to storm shelters across both states AFP reports.
Puri, a coastal town in Odisha, bore the brunt of the storm’s impact, where trees, power lines, and makeshift shops were destroyed. In West Bengal, the world’s largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, saw hundreds of trees uprooted, and numerous homes sustained heavy roof damage from gale-force winds. Though no casualties have been reported, Kolkata, India’s third-largest city, has shut its major airports due to intense rainfall and potential flooding risks.
Cyclone Dana reflects the growing intensity of tropical storms in the region, which scientists link to climate change. Warming oceans contribute to the increased strength of storms, leading to higher rainfall and surges. Despite the devastation, enhanced forecasting and well-coordinated evacuations have helped minimize the storm’s toll, especially when compared to previous cyclones like Cyclone Remal in May, which led to 65 fatalities across India and Bangladesh.
