From being centred at a distance of 460 km yesterday, the brewing cyclone Dana came as close as 150 km from Paradip and 250 km south of Sagar Island this afternoon.
The system, which was a cyclonic storm till last night, intensified into a severe cyclonic storm in the wee hours today moving at a speed of 10 km. It is expected to move north-northwestwards and cross north Odisha and West Bengal coasts between Puri and Sagar Island close to Bhitarkanika and Dhamara in Odisha during mid-night as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 100-110 kmph gusting 120 kmph bring high winds in Kolkata as well.
As tipped by the weather office, cyclone Dana is to continue hovering at a speed of 100-110 kmph gusting to 120kmph till 5.30 am on 25 October. Till Friday early morning hours, the system is to remain a severe cyclonic storm. With the day progressing, Dana is, however, expected to lose intensity and get reduced into a cyclonic storm till around 11.30 am tomorrow. As anticipated by the weather scientists, the system would further get reduced to a deep depression by afternoon tomorrow with a wind speed of 50-60 gusting to 70 kmph by 11.30 pm tomorrow.
Meanwhile, as wind speed went higher in the coastal districts and the sea conditions became rough by sunset, the city also started feeling chilly winds in the evening hours. According to the MET office, till 5.30 pm, Kolkata received drizzles with only 001.4mm rainfall. However, with the approaching severe cyclonic storm, the intensity of rainfall in Kolkata is expected t o increase.