Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Cyclone Fani lashes India's eastern coast

A powerful cyclone has slammed into India's eastern coastline, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 200 km/h (125mph).

Cyclone Fani, one of the most severe storms to hit the region in recent years, made landfall at 08:00 local time (02:30 GMT) on Friday.

More than one million people have been evacuated from the eastern state of Orissa, also called Odisha.

A state official said two people had been killed.

Flooding has also been reported in several areas, and forecasters say a storm surge of 1.5m (5ft) could threaten low-lying homes.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Around 800,000 people were evacuated along the eastern coast of India

The cyclone made landfall in the tourist town of Puri, which is home to the 858-year-old Jagannath temple.

It is expected to hit 15 districts in Orissa, one of India's poorest states, before weakening on Saturday.

What is the latest?

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC Weather's Ben Rich has the latest update on the cyclone

Numerous flights and train services in and out of the state have been cancelled, while schools and government offices are shut. Operations at three ports on India's eastern coast have also been shut down.

Naval warships and helicopters are on standby with medical teams and relief materials. The country's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also deployed several teams there.

India's National Disaster Management Authority has warned people along the east coast, especially fishermen, not to go out to sea because the conditions are "phenomenal".

The agency said the "total destruction of thatched houses" was possible, as well as "extensive damage" to other structures.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Cyclone Fani made landfall in Puri district and will continue moving to West Bengal and Tamilnadu

"I can confirm two deaths for now," Orissa special relief commissioner Bishnupada Sethi told AFP news agency.

"[A] man in one of the shelters died because of a heart attack. Another person went out in the storm despite our warnings and died because a tree fell on him," he said.

The cyclone is expected to move towards Chittagong in Bangladesh in a weaker form on Saturday.

It coincides with high tides in the country, which may exacerbate potential flooding issues there.

The port city of Cox's Bazar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees live in camps with minimal shelter, is also on alert. But the cyclone is currently not expected to hit the camps unless it changes path, which is not thought likely.

How has India prepared?

In February the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) began distributing tarpaulins ahead of the region's "cyclone season" - but warned that if a deadly storm rolls in, shelters made of battered bamboo and shredded plastic would offer little protection.

The navy, the coast guard and the National Disaster Response Force have all been prepared for deployment.

Two ships with divers and doctors have been stationed at the southern port cities of Vishakapatnam and Chennai (formerly Madras), an official told local media.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Train services have been cancelled

In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi killed more than 200 people and displaced hundreds. In October last year, officials in Orissa evacuated hundreds of thousands of people when another cyclone struck.

But India has improved its protections and responses to these disasters in recent years. The state's most deadly cyclone on record took place in 1999, killing almost 10,000 people.

India's electoral commission has relaxed its rules about what the government can do during election periods so that the authorities can carry out relief work.

The country is in the middle of a multi-phased election which started last month.

Under normal circumstances the incumbent government has certain powers suspended, so that it can't announce new schemes or take new decisions during the voting period.

Although the election will continue until the end of May, Orissa has already voted. </s> Cyclone Fani (pronounced Foni) rolled through Odisha Friday, bringing rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, leaving at least three people dead, blowing away thatched houses, and swamping towns and villages. The ‘extremely severe’ cyclone weakened to ‘very severe’ storm within hours of making landfall and is further expected to weaken into a ‘severe storm’, making its move towards Bangladesh. Follow LIVE updates

Odisha was put on high alert with several teams of the Indian Army, Navy, Coast Guard, National Disaster Rapid Force (NDRF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on standby for rescue and relief operations.

The cyclone is said to be the worst to hit India since 2014. The Ministry of Home Affairs has operationalised ‘1938’ as the helpline number for cyclone Fani. The Railways has listed numbers (1800-3457401, 1800-3457402) for the public.

Here’s what happened throughout the day since the cyclone made its landfall:

Eight people were killed in Odisha due to the cyclone. According to the government, nearly 160 people were reported injured, with extensive damage to kuchha houses, old buildings and temporary shops, news agency ANI reported. While a teenage boy was killed when a tree collapsed on him in Puri, flying debris from a concrete structure left a woman dead in Nayagarh. An elderly woman died of heart attack at a relief shelter in Kendrapara district.

NDRF DIG Randeep Rana said not many casualties were reported since precautionary measures were already undertaken. The state administration had evacuated nearly 11 lakh people two days ahead of the cyclone from about 10,000 villages and 52 urban agglomerations.

The Meghalaya government has sought deployment of a team of NDRF in the state in the wake of the cyclone. A team of 25-30 personnel has been sought from Guwahati. The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states, including Meghalaya. The officials of all the 11 districts have been asked to be on alert, the minister said, adding, all officers, including those posted in various blocks, have been asked not to leave their places of posting. The State Disaster Relief Force and the Fire Services have been kept on standby. The Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been kept on standby.

Read | Cyclone Fani: Kolkata airport to remain shut from 3 pm, CM Banerjee cancels rallies for 48 hours

The telecom department Friday reviewed services of four operators, namely Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio, and state-owned BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) in the areas affected by the cyclone. While services in Andhra Pradesh is expected to be fully functional by Saturday morning, the restoration work has already started in Odisha’s Puri and Bhubaneswar, as they suffered extensive network damage. The sources also said that the facility for free SMS has already been activated, and free interconnect between Airtel, Vodafone Idea, Reliance Jio and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has been facilitated to ensure calls can be made on whichever network is available.

The India Meteorological Department Friday said that the cyclone is all set to alter the weather conditions in Nepal and bring heavy rainfall and snowfall in the Himalayan region. The cyclone, however, will not make its way to Nepal, but light to moderate rainfall coupled with lightning and windstorm will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions on Friday and Saturday. The Meteorological Forecasting Department (MFD) warned of rough and extreme weather conditions. “The cyclone is not likely to make its way to Nepal. However, lightning and showers will occur in some parts of eastern and central regions,” a statement issued by the MFD said. The National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) has urged tourists around the Himalayas region to not venture outside.

The East Coast Railways (ECoR) Friday issued a statement saying as many as 103 trains stand cancelled in the wake of the cyclone. The trains which have been cancelled include the Bhubaneshwar-Bangiriposi Express (12891), RajyaRani Express from Rourkela to Kamakhya (18117), Secunderabad-Kamakhya Express (07149) and special train from Santragachhi to Chennai (02841). The New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, New Delhi-Puri Nandan Kanan Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express and the New Delhi-Puri Purushottam Express which were scheduled to run today has been cancelled as well. The railways have also diverted several trains running on the south route.

Read | Modi, Mamata rallies cancelled; how cyclone Fani is affecting other states on east coast

Kolkata’s Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport suspended the operations of flights from 3 pm Friday to 8 am on Saturday because of the cyclone, Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. Earlier, the airport was supposed to remain shut from 9.30 pm today to 6 pm Saturday. A senior government official told PTI that the timings regarding the shutdown of flight operations at Kolkata airport were revised after observing the progress of Cyclone Fani. Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu directed all airlines to immediately respond to concerns of stranded passengers. On Thursday, the airlines announced to waive off cancellation/rescheduling charges of affected customers.

The Election Commission withdrew the Model Code of Conduct from four districts of Andhra Pradesh and 11 coastal districts of Odisha. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cancelled their public rallies in the wake of the cyclone. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a tweet informed that she is cancelling all her rallies in the next 48 hours and that the state is monitoring the situation 24X7. “Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster #CyclonicStormFANI We are monitoring the situation 24×7 and doing all it takes. I appeal to all people to cooperate. Be alert, take care and stay safe for the next two days,” she tweeted. PM Modi, who was to campaign in Jharkhand’s Chaibasa college grounds on May 5, cancelled his rally.

The AIIMS PG 2019 examination, scheduled to be conducted on May 5, has been cancelled for the candidates having centres in Bhubaneswar. The Ministry of Health in a tweet mentioned that the AIIMS PG examination for centres in Bhubaneswar has been cancelled due to extensive damage caused in the city due to Fani cyclone. “AIIMS PG exam was scheduled on 5th May. Due to Fani Cyclone, there has been extensive damage in Bhubaneswar, affecting road, rail and air connectivity. As a result, AIIMS New Delhi is cancelling the exam centre in Bhubaneswar,” the ministry’s tweet read. </s> NEW DELHI (AP) — Indian officials are trying to find out if there are any casualties from Cyclone Fani, after one of the biggest storms to hit the eastern coast in decades tore through the state of Odhisha, causing heavy damage to infrastructure.

Randeep Kumar of the National Disaster Response Force says roads are blocked due to fallen trees on Saturday. Electrical posts are down causing power disruptions while water supply is also damaged.

The agency is still trying to gauge if there are any casualties.

Mohammad Heidarzadei, an expert on storms and cyclones at Brunel University of London, says the cyclone packed sustained wind speed of 250 kilometers (155 miles) per hour when it hit land, placing it under Category 4.

He says it has now headed toward the India-Bangladesh border. </s> Only twelve people have been killed

NEW DELHI: UN and other experts on Saturday praised India for its early warning systems and rapid evacuation of more than 1 million people, which they said helped minimise loss of life from a deadly cyclone that battered its eastern coast.Cyclone Fani, one of the biggest to hit India in years,, leaving a trail of devastation across the coastal state of 46 million people before swinging towards Bangladesh.In 1999, the same state was hit by a devastating 30-hour super-cyclone that saw a storm surge sweep 20 kilometres inland. Unprepared for the scale of the disaster, authorities struggled to evacuate the stricken population and some 10,000 people were killed.This time, improved forecasting models, public awareness campaigns and well-drilled evacuation plans - backed up by an army of responders and volunteers - has seen Odisha's inhabitants spared the worst of Fani's fury.by the cyclone in India - which escaped being hit by a major storm surge - and at least 160 injured.As soon as it became clear this week that Fani was on course to hit Odisha, emergency teams began the mammoth task of evacuating those living in low-lying regions, moving 1.2 million residents away from danger areas and in to temporary shelters.Alerts asking residents to stay indoors and follow the dos and don'ts were issued repeatedly on TV and radio, and broadcast through loudspeakers in public places.The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) praised the government's "effective" evacuation, saying it had "saved many lives".The state government in Odisha along with national disaster response teams and volunteers have worked in tandem to carry out evacuations and set up safe shelters.Workers have been equipped with satellite phones and inflatable boats along with food and medicines to distribute in the storm's aftermath.Some 7,000 kitchens catering to 9,000 shelters have been set up, thanks to an army of 45,000 volunteers.Emergency workers are now focussing on restoring damaged infrastructure, including power and telecom lines, and clearing roads.Mahesh Palawat, the vice-president of meteorology at private forecaster Skymet, said the early warnings had been vital in allowing authorities to plan in advance."From April 25 onwards we (the Indian Meteorological Department and Skymet) had been monitoring the track and intensity of the cyclone continuously, what time it would make landfall and the probable points of landfall," Palawat told AFP.Numerical models, adopted by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) in 2014 to supplement the more traditional statistical modelling, allowed forecasters to track Fani's progress and wind profiles in the upper atmosphere.Denis McClean, a spokesperson for UNISDR, said "the almost pinpoint accuracy" of the early warnings from the IMD had enabled the authorities to "conduct a well-targeted evacuation plan."Social media users also lauded the Indian authorities for averting a mass human disaster, despite the fact that a densely populated region was in the eye of the storm."Credit goes to #India authorities for their aggressive pre-impact response, including massive evacuations," wrote Josh Morgerman, a US-based cyclone expert. </s> NEW DELHI (AP) — Cyclone Fani has made landfall on India's eastern coast as a grade 5 storm, lashing the emptied beaches with rain and wind gusting up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) per hour.

The India Meterological Department says the "extremely severe" cyclone in the Bay of Bengal hit the coastal state of Odisha around 8 a.m. on Friday.

India's National Disaster Response Force says around 1.2 million people have been evacuated from low-lying areas of Odisha and moved to nearly 4,000 shelters.

Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi says communications have been disrupted in some areas, but no deaths or injuries have been reported.

Fani is the fiercest storm since 1999, when a cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha. </s> Dhaka: A mammoth preparation exercise that included the evacuation of more than 1 million people appears to have spared India a devastating death toll from one of the biggest storms in decades, though the full extent of the damage was yet to be known, officials said on Saturday.

Cyclone Fani packed sustained wind speeds of 250 kilometres per hour when it made landfall in eastern Odisha state on Friday, equivalent in strength to a Category 4 hurricane, said Mohammad Heidarzadei, an expert on cyclones at Brunel University of London.

As of late Saturday, India's National Disaster Response Force director S.N. Pradhan said three people had been killed, though the storm smashed thatched- roof huts, uprooted trees and power lines, ripped the roof off a medical college and sprayed the emptied coastline with debris.

"The precautions that have been taken should be continued," Pradhan said. </s> 4 May 2019: According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s (BMD) Special Weather Bulletin No. 45, severe cyclonic storm “Fani” weakened into a deep depression located over the Paban-Tangail-Mymensingh region and adjoining area. Under the influence of “Fani,” the sky remains overcast and rain/thunder showers with gusty/squally wind is continuing at many locations throughout the country. Presently, windspeed of about 50-60 kilometers per hour is likely at many locations around the country, while windspeed of about 40-50 kilometers per hour is likely over the North Bay area. Under the influence “Fani” and the new moon phase, the low-lying areas of the coastal districts of Chattogram, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Chandpur, Borguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirozpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and chars, are likely to be inundated by storm surges of two to four feet in height above normal astronomical tide levels. The whole country will experience heavy rainfall and storms today. After making landfall in Bangladesh, “Fani” will move towards Assam. “Though it weakened, Fani is still is a very severe cyclone. The whole country will experience rainfall and cyclonic storm on 4-5 May 2019,” said BMD’s Director Shamsuddin Ahmed.

The special report from Bangladesh’s Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, released on 3 May, anticipated risks of flooding and flash floods in the North/North-East districts of Jessore, Kustia,

 Rajshahi, Bogura and Natore, with heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding within the next 72 hours.

At a press conference, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief (MoDMR) informed that 4,071 cyclone shelters in 19 coastal districts were prepared to shelter 2.1 million to 2.5 million persons. The MoDMR’s State Minister stated that 1,240,795 people from coastal regions were evacuated on 3 May to cyclone shelters, where dry food, medicine and drinking water was provided. All evacuees were requested to return home today. To date, the MoDMR has distributed 19-plus tons of rice, 50 million Bangladeshi Taka in cash assistance and distributed 41,000 dry food rations. A total of 32 naval vessels are positioned in Chittagong, Khulna, and Mongla to provide emergency relief and medical assistance. The operations of all civilian water vessels are still suspended until further notice. The Bangladesh Navy is currently undertaking a relief operation for thousands of people isolated on a char in Bhola, a district which has been severely impacted by the cyclone.

The Ministry of Health has informed that, so far, 14 people have lost their lives and that 43 people were injured, primarily due to lightning strikes and fallen trees in different parts of the country. In Barishal, most of the fishing boats which ventured into the deep sea have not yet returned to shore.
• None In Bagerhat, a 200-metre-wide embankment collapsed. Also, at least three villages in Bagerhat’s Shoronkhola area were flooded.
• None In Patuakhali, at least 17 villages were flooded due to the collapse of dykes in Kalapara, Mirzagonj and Rangabali, following the impact of the tidal surge. Standing crops in different districts were damaged.
• None In Cox’s Bazar’s remote island of Kutubdia, at least 20 villages were inundated.
• None In Bhola, more than 200 homes were destroyed.
• None In Gopalganj, farmers are at risk of losing their crops due to the looming threat of floods.

In the refugee camps, several shelters, latrines and health facilities were affected. Preliminary reports estimate that nearly 900 refugees were affected, including 211 who were displaced. BMD Special Weather Bulletin 45 announced that “Fani” had weakened into a deep depression, which triggered a lowering of the warning signal in Cox’s Bazar to Distant Cautionary Signal 3. As a result, the alert system in the camps also lowered its single flag warning.

While the impact of “Fani” is still unfolding in the North/North-East of the country, so far, the significant preparedness and immediate response measures taken by the authorities, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society and volunteers have limited the loss of lives and the damage to property and infrastructure. However, immediate high risks remain as well as short/medium-term risks related to the possible loss of livelihood due to the impact of the cyclone which coincides with the early stage of the annual monsoon season.

The humanitarian community is monitoring the overall situation – in close collaboration with the national authorities and their partners – and is supporting the conveying of safety precautions to the communities at risk.

Today, the Director General of the Department of Disaster Management hosted a meeting with the members of the Needs Assessment Working Group. A detailed joint analytical report on the impact of the cyclone will be produced in 72 hours, starting tomorrow. Based on the report and, in agreement with the authorities, possible complementary response support from the humanitarian community will be discussed and agreed upon. </s> DHAKA, Bangladesh — A mammoth evacuation of more than 1 million people appears to have spared India a devastating death toll from one of the biggest storms in decades, though the full extent of the damage was yet to be known, officials said Saturday.

Cyclone Fani packed winds of 155 mph when it made landfall in eastern Odisha state Friday, equivalent in strength to a Category 4 hurricane, said Mohammad Heidarzadei, an expert on cyclones at Brunel University of London.

As of late Saturday, India’s National Disaster Response Force director S.N. Pradhan said three people were killed, though the storm smashed thatched-roof huts, uprooted trees and power lines, ripped the roof off a medical college and pounded the emptied coastline with debris.

“The precautions that have been taken should be continued,” Pradhan said.

Officials cautioned that the death toll could rise as communications are restored.

Fani crossed over India’s West Bengal state and moved northeast toward Bangladesh on Saturday, weakening from a severe cyclonic storm to a cyclonic storm.

At least a dozen people had been confirmed killed in Bangladesh as the cyclone hovered over the country’s southwestern coast Saturday, delivering battering rain storms. Lightening killed at least six people, local media reported.

Stormy weather from the system was projected to affect around 100 million people in South Asia, from India’s distant Andaman Islands to Mount Everest in Nepal.

The relatively low casualty count demonstrates much improved disaster readiness in India since 1999, when a “super” cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha.

“In the event of such a major calamity like this — where Odisha was hit by close to a super-cyclone — instead of being a tragedy of humongous proportion, we are in the process of restoring critical infrastructure. That is the transformation that Odisha has had,” the state’s top government official, Naveen Patnaik, said in a statement.

India’s disaster response agency said authorities were working “on war footing” to restore power and communications, and clear roads of debris.

Widespread power failures, damaged water supplies and roads blocked by fallen trees and power lines made transport around the affected area difficult, officials said.

Pravat Ranjan Mohapatra, the deputy relief commissioner at Odisha’s emergency center, said his phone line and internet were down for most of Saturday.

“Earlier we were not able to connect with authorities for infrastructure damage, how many houses are damaged or how many people have died or were injured,” he said. </s> People of heaved a sigh of relief as severe cyclonic storm Fani weakened on Saturday morning and was moving towards neighbouring Bangladesh, a senior of the said.

The city witnessed wind speeds of 30-40 kmph with moderate to heavy rainfall overnight, he said.

There was no report of any casualty or damage in the districts through which the cyclone passed, officials said.

"Fani is likely to continue to move north-northeastwards and weaken further over the next six hours.

"It is very likely to move further north-northeastwards and enter around noon as a deep depression with wind speeds of 50-60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph," of the here told

The very severe cyclonic storm weakened into a severe cyclonic storm over the Odisha coast, before moving further north-northeastwards and entering through Kharagpur in West Midnapore around 12.30 am on Saturday.

"It has moved to Arambagh in Hooghly and is now in district...and is moving towards district," Bandyopadhyay said.

A senior said apart from a few mud houses collapsing and tress falling, there were no reports of casualties from any of the districts. "However, we are awaiting further details," he added.

Firhad Hakim, along with senior engineers of the civic body and local councillors, was on a night-long vigil in and around the city to keep a tab on the situation.

"We had made arrangements to act on an emergency basis had Fani hit the city. But thank god nothing has happened," Hakim told

Meanwhile, flight operations resumed at the airport at 9.57 am on Saturday, an (AAI) said.

were suspended at the airport from 3 pm on Friday.

on the Sealdah and Howrah sections were also getting back to normal, the officials said.

Five persons were injured when a portion of the roof of a hutment collapsed on Friday night in the central part of the city's Beniatola Lane, police said.

All the five injured persons were released after treatment.

The government had taken precautionary measures in East and West Midnapore, 24 Pargana districts, besides Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, and the Sundarbans.

The cyclone barrelled through Odisha on Friday, unleashing copious rain and windstorm that gusted up to 175 kmph, killing at least eight people, blowing away thatched houses and swamping towns and villages.
Cyclone Fani starts affecting Bangladesh, where over a million people have been evacuated from the storm's path. Authorities say the cyclone has killed at least five people in Bangladesh and damaged over a thousand homes. At least twelve people have been killed in total by the cyclone.