In this episode, we discuss DANA, the season's first post-monsoon cyclonic storm named by Qatar. Currently located in the east-central Bay of Bengal, DANA is expected to shift toward the northwest Bay of Bengal near the coastlines of Odisha and West Bengal. It is expected that as the storm grows stronger, it will evolve into a severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds of between 100 and 120 km/h. Even though DANA's limited travel by sea indicates that it might not develop past the severe cyclonic category, yet the inclement weather conditions will still remain alarming.

Currently positioned around 700 kilometres southeast of Paradip, Odisha, the system continues to expand in deep waters with a relatively high heat potential (>100 kJ/sq cm) under ideal climatic conditions. By early tomorrow morning, DANA is predicted to shift west-northwest and strengthen into a cyclonic storm. It is expected to intensify before making landfall in close proximity to the coast of Odisha and West Bengal in the early hours of October 25th.

The precise position will become increasingly clear over the following day, but the likely landfall zone covers from Puri, Odisha, to Diamond Harbour, West Bengal. The whole West Bengal coastline as well as the coastline of North Odisha are still exposed to hazardous weather as we keep an eye on this developing situation.