Cyclone Dana is expected to hammer the low-lying regions of West Bengal and Odisha, home to around 150 million people, as a “severe cyclonic storm” late on Thursday or Friday morning, India’s weather bureau said. At least 1.1 million people on India’s eastern coast were fleeing to storm shelters inland, just hours before the storm’s arrival.

Heavy rains and gusty winds battered southern West Bengal on Thursday as the state administration evacuated over 2.5 lakh people to safety in anticipation of the impending severe cyclonic storm 'Dana,