By Jatindra Dash BHUBANESWAR (Reuters) -Flights to and from the capital cities of India's eastern states of Odisha and West Bengal, including Kolkata, will be suspended from Thursday evening to Friday morning as the region braces for a cyclone set to hit during that time,

The cyclone is likely to make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra Port in Odisha early Friday with wind speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (kmph), it said.

The storm, that is currently over east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and make landfall between Bhitarkanika National Park and Dhamra port.

Bhubaneswar: Cyclone Dana, the severe storm that is steadily advancing towards the Odisha coast, is expected to make landfall late tonight or early Friday morning. Following landfall, the

Authorities in Odisha have already evacuated more than 3 lakh people by Wednesday evening in view of cyclone Dana that is threatening to impact nearly half of the state's population.

The cyclone is expected to bring heavy winds and torrential rainfall to the region, impacting flights and leading to disruptions across the coastal areas of West Bengal, including Kolkata.