Staff Reporter :
The cyclone “DANA,” formed in the Bay of Bengal, may cause flooding in 14 coastal districts of the country, according to a special weather bulletin issued by the Meteorological Department on Thursday afternoon.
According to the bulletin, the cyclone is expected to make landfall near the coast of Odisha, India, around midnight on Thursday. Due to its impact, there are concerns about heavy rain and strong winds in the coastal districts of Bangladesh.
The special bulletin states that the cyclone’s effects may cause flooding in the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Barguna, Barishal, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Patuakhali, Bhola, Lakshmipur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar, as well as nearby islands and chars, with water levels expected to rise 2 to 3 feet higher than normal high tide.
As of noon on Thursday, the powerful cyclone was located about 570 kilometers southwest of Chattogram port, 535 kilometers southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 435 kilometers south-southwest of Mongla port, and 435 kilometers south-southwest of Payra port.
It is moving further north-northwest and is expected to cross the northern Odisha-West Bengal coast between Puri and Sagar Island by midnight tonight.
The bulletin indicates that the cyclone’s leading edge will bring heavy (44 to 88 mm) to very heavy (over 89 mm) rainfall along the coastal areas of the northern Bay of Bengal and its nearby islands and chars, accompanied by strong winds.
The maximum sustained wind speed within 64 kilometers of the cyclone’s center is 90 kilometers per hour, with gusts reaching up to 110 kilometers per hour. The sea is extremely rough in the areas near the cyclone.