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> Puri, Odisha: The landfall process of the most severe cyclone Fani that killed 10,000 people in Odisha began on Friday morning with strong winds and rain hitting Puri district in Odisha. Strong winds have also hit Bhubaneswar.

"ESCS FANI about 25 km SSW of Puri at 0830 IST. To cross Odisha coast between Gopalpur Chandbali close to Puri during 0800-1100 IST. Landfall started at 0800 hrs IST. Part of eye lies over land at 0830. Entire process of eye entering into land will be completed in next 2 hrs," the India Meteorological Department (IMD) tweeted.

In a subsequent tweet it said, "Current wind speed of the cyclone is 175-185 kmph gusting to 195 kmph. Puri reported maximum sustained wind speed of 142 kmph gusting to 174 kmph at 7.30 hours today."

In the wake of the cyclonic storm, the Odisha administration has evacuated over 11 lakh people from the vulnerable districts since Thursday. More than 3 lakh people have been evacuated from Ganjam district alone, followed by 1.3 lakh from Puri district where landfall is expected. About 5000 kitchens are operating to serve people in shelters.

The IMD has warned of a storm surge of about 1.5 metres which may inundate low-lying coastal areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, and Jagatsinghpur districts at the time of landfall. The government said that 10,000 villages and 52 towns located in nine districts in Odisha will be affected.

The cyclonic storm is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.

Puri, Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Naygarh, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore are badly affected due to Cyclone Fani.

All flights to and from Kolkata have been cancelled until tomorrow morning in view of the impending severe cyclonic storm 'Fani' threat over the Bay of Bengal.

As rough sea weather conditions prevail in Bhadrak in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, which is the adjoining state, is also on high alert for any aftermath triggered by the cyclone fani.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday took to Twitter to inform that she has cancelled all her election rallies for the next two days in the wake of 'impending' Cyclone Fani in her home state. "Have cancelled my rallies for the next 48 hours because of what could be an impending disaster #CyclonicStormFANI We are monitoring the situation 24x7 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.

As many as 3,01,460 people have been evacuated from the district so far and 541 pregnant women have been shifted to hospitals safely. Fishermen in Penthakata village of Puri have left their houses for relief centers.

The home ministry has set up a control room and anyone who needs assistance or updates on Cyclone Fani can call on the helpline number 1938. </s> NEW DELHI — Hundreds of thousands of people were evacuated along India's eastern coast on Thursday as authorities braced for a cyclone moving through the Bay of Bengal that was forecast to bring extremely severe wind and rain.

The India Meteorological Department in New Delhi said Cyclone Fani was expected to make landfall on Friday with gale-force winds of up to 124 mph likely starting Thursday night. It warned of "extremely heavy falls" over parts of the state of Odisha and its southern neighbor Andhra Pradesh.

India's National Disaster Management Authority forecast "high to phenomenal" sea conditions for most of the Indian states along the Bay of Bengal. Fishermen were advised not to venture into deep waters. A 4.9-foot storm surge was expected to inundate low-lying areas.

Fearing that Fani could be the worst storm since 1999, when a cyclone killed around 10,000 people and devastated large parts of Odisha, Indian officials put the navy, air force, army and coast guard on high alert, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Cabinet ministers and weather and disaster-response officials for a briefing on the measures being taken.

The Meteorological Department projected "total destruction" of thatched-roof huts, flooding of farmland and orchards, and the uprooting of telephone poles.

Odisha's special relief commissioner, Bishnupada Sethi, said that preparations for Fani included the country's largest evacuation operation, of around 880,000 people.

More than 800 shelters were opened and around 100,000 dry food packets were ready to be airdropped.

"We've been preparing plans for the last few days to ensure that all the people who are vulnerable will be shifted to our cyclone centers," Sethi said.

Tourists were provided special trains to leave the popular beach town of Puri in Odisha on Thursday, according to Indian media reports.

The National Disaster Response Force dispatched 54 rescue and relief teams to flood-prone areas along the coast and as far afield as Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a group of islands that comprise a state located about 840 miles east of mainland India in the Bay of Bengal.

The teams included doctors, engineers and deep-sea divers equipped with boats, scuba sets and satellite phones, the group said in a statement.

In the coastal city of Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, strong winds and heavy rain battered an empty beach where fishing boats had been left on shore. People piled into truck beds and buses reinforced with tin sheeting.

Residents tied plastic tarps over their tin-roof shacks before abandoning them.

Fani was also forecast to hit Bangladesh, tracking north through ports including Cox's Bazar, the coastal district where more than a million Rohingya from Myanmar live in refugee camps.

Aid agencies warned that the Rohingya were at threat. Hillol Sobhan, local communications director for the group NGO Care, said it is keeping emergency supplies for the refugees in Cox's Bazar.

The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority said it suspended operations of all vessels. Authorities also halted activities at Chittagong Seaport, which handles 80 percent of the country's overseas trade. </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> NEW DELHI
• A Category 4 cyclone gathered speed yesterday and was set to hit India this morning as almost one million people were evacuated in the eastern state of Odisha.

Severe cyclonic storm Fani was churning up the Bay of Bengal yesterday evening about 320km south-south-west of the Hindu temple town of Puri, where special trains were put on to evacuate tourists and the beaches were empty. Cyclone Fani is forecast to be the worst storm since 2014.

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have deployed ships and helicopters for relief operations, according to a government statement. Sea levels may rise about 1.5m above the astronomical tide, said Mr Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, secretary at India's Ministry of Earth Sciences. Wind speeds are likely to reach as high as 200kmh at the time of the landfall in Odisha, he said.

Hundreds of thousands of people along India's north-east coastline were evacuated by boat, bus and train ahead of the cyclone making landfall, with many villagers piling household possessions into trucks before fleeing their homes.

"We are on the job and have sufficient time to evacuate people from the coastal areas," said Mr Bishnupada Sethi, special relief commissioner with the Odisha government.

The administration has stocked up medicines and food supplies in preparation, said Mr N. C. Marwah, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority.

As many as 48 National Disaster Response teams are ready to be deployed, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held a meeting yesterday to review the preparations, has asked top officials to take preventive measures as well as make preparations for relief and rescue operations, according to a government statement. </s> The impact of the category 4 severe cyclonic storm Fani's landfall has started on the with wind velocity of 150 to 175 kmph and at a few places even higher, said the (IMD) on Friday morning.

"The process of cyclone Fani's landfall in Puri will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.," said

It's eye diameter is 28 km now. Half of Fani's eye is in the sea right now, said IMD.

The landfall process is very likely to continue till noon on Friday.

The already rough sea in Puri is turbulant. Evacuation has been carried out till 5 km of the beach area. Even the calm sea in Chandipur is violent, officials said.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during May 3 forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph.

Nearly 11 lakh people have been evacuated from the vulnerable areas to safer places in last 24 hours in Odisha. Ganjam and Puri districts have evacuated more than 3 lakh and 1.3 lakh people, respectively.

Although the evacuation were extremely difficult given that people were not ready to laeve their house and belongings. Relief workers had a tough time, speaking to news channels several complained. </s> Cyclone Fani update: Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm Fani, which is travelling northwestward at 11 km per hour, is likely to make landfall in Odisha’s Puri district on Friday. The stretch of coast from Bhubaneswar in Odisha to Kolkata in West Bengal could experience 125-250 mm rain until Saturday. A ýellow warning has been issued for Odisha cost. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Coast Guard have been put on high alert and fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea. Fani is currently a Category 4 (Extremely Severe) Cyclonic Storm.

The disaster management division of the home ministry has said that Cyclone Fani is likely to move northwards on till May 1 noon and thereafter recurve north-northeastwards and Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali. From there it will move to the south of Puri around May 3 afternoon with maximum sustained wind of speed 175-185 km per hour gusting to 205 km per hour, the ANI reported.

The IMD has also warned that gale wind speed 150-160 km per hour gusting to 170 could be experienced in Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara districts of Odisha. Recently, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had met Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and requested him to postpone the Patkura assembly election in view of Cyclone Fani. Polling in Patkura is scheduled to be held on May 19, 2019. Odisha has sounded a red alert in 17 districts.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has recommended extensive evacuation from coastal areas as the storm is likely to cause extensive damage to kutcha houses, rail and road connectivity, power supply and fishing in Ganjam, Gajapati, Khurda, Puri, Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha; east and west Medinipur, south and north 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hoogli, Kolkata districts of West Bengal and Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam and Vijayanagaram districts of Andhra Pradesh. </s> NEW DELHI: Cyclone Fani has made landfall in Puri coast, Odisha. Landfall process will continue till noon. On Sunday, the Cyclone Warning Division of the Meteorological department notified that Cyclone Fani (it’s been named by Bangladesh), inching closer to the coasts of north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh , is likely to intensify into a "severe cyclonic storm".Last year, Cyclone Gaja had battered the Tamil Nadu coast, killing at least 20 people and causing widespread destruction.As many as 26 of the 35 deadliest tropical cyclones in history have been Bay of Bengal storms. Bangladesh has seen the most casualties, accounting for over 40% of the world’s tropical cyclone-associated deaths in the past two centuries (India accounts for a quarter of the deaths). In India, Odisha has seen most number of cyclones (98 between 1891 and 2002) but Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have had the most casualties in recent times.More cyclones are formed in the Bay of Bengal than Arabian Sea due to wind patterns (that keep oceans cooler on the western side). Even among those formed along the western coast, many move towards Oman instead of hitting Indian shores. Storms formed on the eastern coast, however, are more intense and since states on that side have relatively flatter topography compared to the western coast they can’t deflect the winds.April to December is the cyclone season but over 65% of all cyclones occur in the last four months of the year.Cyclones are classified based on the wind speed around the low-pressure area. Wind speed of over 62 kmph is classified as a tropical cyclone and assigned a name. It becomes a severe cyclonic storm if the speed is between 89 and 118 kmph and a very severe cyclonic storm if the speed is between 119 and 221 kmph. Those with higher speeds are categorised as super cyclonic storms.Meanwhile, pre-monsoon rainfall from March to April, a phenomenon critical to agriculture in some parts of the country, has recorded a 27% deficiency, according to the meteorological department.
Cyclone Fani, an extremely severe category 4 storm and one of the strongest in recent years, makes landfall at the coastal town of Puri in the Indian state of Odisha. Eight people have been killed in India, according to the Press Trust of India, and hundreds more injured. Severe damage and flooding has been reported. One million Indians and 2.1 million Bangladeshis have been evacuated. A storm surge possibly up to 1.5m (5ft) is expected. The storm, weakening as it travels northeast through India, is expected to reach Chittagong in Bangladesh Saturday.