Over 1m people flee as cyclone dana approaches India’s eastern coast

At least 1.1 million people are evacuating India’s eastern coast as Cyclone Dana approaches West Bengal and Odisha.

The cyclone, expected to make landfall late Thursday as a “severe cyclonic storm,” brings winds up to 120 km/h (74 mph), threatening the densely populated region of 150 million people.

Authorities have moved nearly a million people in Odisha and over 100,000 in West Bengal to storm shelters.

Kolkata’s airport and major transport systems have been suspended. Neighboring Bangladesh is also preparing for the storm’s impact, though it is expected to hit India hardest.

With water surges up to two meters and extensive damage expected, preparations are underway to mitigate the storm’s effects.

Climate change has intensified the strength of cyclones, but improved evacuation measures have helped reduce casualties in recent years.