Thousands of residents along India’s eastern coast are fleeing to storm shelters in preparation for the arrival of Cyclone Dana, expected to hit the coasts of West Bengal and Odisha states. The storm is forecasted to make landfall near Puri, a popular tourist destination, late on Thursday night. Authorities are evacuating over 100,000 people from coastal areas and have ordered the closure of educational institutions in nine districts until Sunday.
Fishing crews have been warned to stay off the water and around 200 trains have been cancelled in Odisha. Officials in Kolkata are considering halting air traffic from Thursday. Tourists in coastal areas are being urged to leave beach resorts and seek safe shelters.
While India has improved its storm forecasting and evacuation procedures, Cyclone Remal in May claimed at least 48 lives. Scientists caution that storms are intensifying due to climate change.