Bhubaneswar/Kolkata/IBNS: Heavy rains lashed parts of Odisha and West Bengal as the two states are set to experience the landfall of severe cyclone Dana on Thursday night, media reports said.

The storm is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make a landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Post at a wind speed ranging from 100-120 km/hr.

The Odisha government has displaced 10 lakh people from 3,000 villages across 14 districts and relocated them to relief camps.

Over 1.5 people have been evacuated in West Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will stay at the state secretariat Nabanna to monitor the situation.

The East Coast Railway had cancelled 198 trains that were scheduled to run from October 23 to 25.

The Bhubaneswar Airport has announced the shutting down of services from 5 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25.

The Kolkata Airport has announced flight services will remain suspended from 6 pm on October 24 to 9 am on October 25.

The governments in both Odisha and West Bengal have closed educational institutions. However, the government educational institutions in West Bengal are currently closed anyway due to the festival season.

As per the MeT department, Puri in Odisha and Sagar Island in West Bengal are going to be impacted by the cyclone.

The Odisha government has put 14 districts on alert. All educational institutions have been closed for three days starting on October 23.