Schools closed, tourists asked to leave as eastern India braces for cyclone

BHUBANESWAR, India: In parts of the eastern Indian state of Odisha, schools have been ordered closed and tourists asked to leave the popular beach town of Puri as authorities brace for a severe cyclonic storm expected to hit later this week.

Cyclone Dana, currently over the Bay of Bengal, is expected to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of up to 120 kmph and is likely to make landfall late on Thursday (October 24) evening, the Met Office said.

Schools in 14 districts will be closed from Wednesday to Friday and fishermen are being asked not to go to sea, a senior official from the office of the Special Relief Commissioner, which oversees disaster management, told Reuters.

Tourists and pilgrims who frequent the coastal city of Puri, home to the famous Jagannath Temple, have been asked to leave the city while rescue teams are on standby, officials said.

Odisha is likely to experience heavy to extremely heavy rains over the next three days and the ensuing storm could damage houses, roads, crops and power lines, causing floods and landslides, the weather office said.

Odisha is prone to cyclones but has improved its disaster preparedness over time, reducing damage and casualties.