Cyclone Fani LIVE Updates: A special notice from the West Bengal government says, 'Every primary and high school in the districts should be prepared for any sort of emergency. The keys should be handed over to either local people or the teachers. No flood victim or evacuated villager should wait for shelter.'

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Fani is billed to be the most severe cyclonic storm since the super cyclone of 1999, that claimed close to 10,000 lives and left a trail of destruction in vast swathes of Odisha, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre.

As Cyclone Fani heads towards the eastern coast, the Indian Coast Guard has positioned 34 disaster relief teams at different spots and deployed four ships to handle any exigency.

At present, 28 NDRF teams are positioned in 14 districts. Apart from NDRF teams, 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 525 fire service personnel have been deployed at various places of coastal and adjourning districts.

Considering the possible impact of extreme severe cyclone Fani, the Odisha government has sought 20 additional units of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The additional units will be deployed at various districts which will be affected due to the cyclone.

Considering the possible impact of 'extremely severe' Cyclone Fani, the Odisha government has sought 20 additional units of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The additional units will be deployed at various districts which will be affected due to the cyclone. At present, 28 NDRF teams are positioned in 14 districts. Apart from NDRF teams, 20 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and 525 fire service personnel have been deployed at various places of coastal and adjourning districts.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha coast near Puri between 8 and 10 am with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. The landfall process is very likely to continue till noon/ late afternoon of 3rd May.

The Indian Meteorological Department's morning bulletin states that the extremely severe Cyclone Fani law centered about 80 kilometres south-southwest of Puri, 65 kilometres southeast of Gopalpur and 280 kilometres east-northeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Moderate to heavy rainfall was reported from costal Odisha towns including Gopalpur and Puri. The two Odisha towns also reported gusty winds, with the windspeed reaching speed of 53 knots 100 kmph) and 38 knots (70 kmph) for Gopalpur and Puri respectively. Here is the overnight rainfall data untill 6.30 am today morning.

More than a million people are being moved to safety as tense Odisha battens down the hatches to take on the might of the "extremely severe" Cyclone Fani, which is set to make landfall near Puri between 8 am and 10 am on Friday. Fani is likely to affect over 10,000 villages and 52 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in 14 districts of the state.

According to reports , this could be the first time since the 1999 Super Cyclone that Odisha will bear the brunt of such a severe storm. The 1999 cyclone killed nearly 10,000 people and battered the state with winds of 270-300 km/h. Cyclone Fani is expected to remain "extremely severe" for four to six hours after landfall, IMD officials said. It will then gradually weaken, reports said.

These trains were supposed to pass in Bhadrak-Vizianagaram Railway section of Howrah-Chennai Main Line during cyclone time and some were supposed to originate and ending its journey at Puri or at Bhubaneswar.

It has further been decided to cancel 10 more trains — 7 trains on 3 May, one train on 4 May, one train on 6 May and one train on 7 May. Railways had earlier cancelled 147 trains from 1 to 3 May, ANI reported.

South Bengal State Transport Corporation (SBSTC) will operate about 50 buses from Digha on 3 May to evacuate the stranded tourists at Digha to minimise the inconvenience caused due to suspension of train operations to Digha. (ANI)

Great danger signal no. 10 kept hoisted at Kalingapatnam, Bheemunipatnam ports. Great danger signal no. 8 hoisted at Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports, ANI reported. Local cautionary signal no. 3 kept hoisted at Machilipatnam, Krishnapatnam, Nizamapatnam, Kakinada and Vadarevu ports.

Cyclone Fani reaches close to Odisha coast Puri. The wind speed of the storm is 175 kmph. The eye of the storm will hit the landmass at point of time now, said Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi.

Cyclone Fani is making landfall right now near Puri in Odisha as a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists have dubbed the extremely severe storm as one of the strongest landfalling cyclones in the country's recorded history.

Visuals from coastal town of Digha in West Bengal as Cyclone Fani is expected to make landfall in Odisha's Puri district by 11 am. According to the India Met department, the impact of landfall process has begun.

Similarly, 12,000 poles, 50 cranes, 40 pole drilling machines, 40 generators, 70 power saws, 2,000 transformers, wires, conductors, cross arms, insulators were already sent to the cyclone-affected areas and in addition, other necessary items are being procured.

Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Corporation Ltd has cautioned public to be more alert regarding any untoward power accidents during the storm.

Reports said that even with a wind speed of 175 kmph gusting up to 200 kmph, that is not just the worry with Cyclone Fani. The tidal surge, which experts have predicted could go up to 30 feet, that will submerge several coastal and low lying areas.

The Puri district administration has arranged system of announcements and warnings from many government building in Puri. Many shelter homes also have warning announcements. The administration is making regular announcements on the status of the cyclone, dos and donts and informing the citizens about government assistance provided.

Part of the eye lies over land at 8.30 am. The entire process of eye entering into the land will be completed in next two hours. Current wind speed of the storm is 175 to 185 kmph in Puri gusting to 195 kmph. Puri reported maximum sustained windspeed of 142 km/h gusting to 174 km/h at 7:30 am today.

Visuals from Satapada area in Puri district. According to sources, Satapada is one of the worst affected area in Odisha.

Anyone with an internet connection can track and identify the wind patterns and speed in a particular area. Visit Earth.nullschool to see the speed, location and wind patterns of Cyclone Fani hovering near Odisha. The images give a clear idea of the threat and potential destruction coming along with the cyclone. To watch the live video visit Earth .

This live simulation of Cyclone Fani shows how dangerously close it is to the East coast

Several streets of Bhubaneswar are now water-logged after a few hours of heavy rains on Friday morning. Transportation within the city was severely affected due to the rains.

It is very likely to continue to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on 4 May evening as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph.

According to the latest IMD bulletin , the extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, close to Puri before 11 am with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. After the landfall., the system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early Saturday.

Winds in Puri are blowing at a maximum speed of 240-245 km per hour and heavy to very heavy rains are continuing over the Odisha coast, ANI reported quoting officials at IMD Hyderabad. After landfall, the impact is likely to reduce and it is likely to move towards West Bengal coast, the IMD confirmed.

Mamata Banerjee to stay in Kharagpur, near to the coastal belt and monitor the situation herself staying on the ground zero. She will stay in Kharagpur on Friday and Saturday. All the political campaigns of Mamata have been cancelled due to advent of Fani.

According to the latest IMD bulletin, the impact is likely to reduce and Cyclone Fani is likely to move towards West Bengal coast. The system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early Saturday.

North coastal Andhra Pradesh is facing a flood threat as Cyclone Fani has crossed the Indian coast 15 kilometres off Gopalpur in Odisha. Rivers originating from Odisha are expected to be in spate, Srikakulam collector, J Nivas said.

The weather, however, has started detoriorating in the coastal areas. Thousands of passengers were stranded in Howrah and Sealdah Railway stations as the South Eastern Railways cancelled 233 trains to Odisha/ Digha have been cancelled to prevent any mishaps. The Kolkata airport will also shut all operations from 6 pm on Friday till 9.30pm on Saturday. The airport is partially functioning as of now.

Fani is currently 435 kilometres away from Kolkata and 380 kilometres away from Digha in West Bengal.

Mamata Banerjee cancelled all her rallies for the next 48 hours "because of what could be an impending disaster." The West Bengal chief minister tweeted: "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."

Fani leaves a trail of destruction in Andhra Pradesh's Srikakulam district. Coconut plantations bore the brunt of high-velocity winds that marked the cyclone hitting the coast. Electric poles have been twisted at several places.

According to reports, the road network in several districts of Odisha has suffered extensive damage. The power distribution network has also been severely affected. Asbestos sheets of temporary housing facilities have been ripped off.

In Jhargram district of West Bengal, light rain with breeze started midnight onwards. Though the effect of cyclone Fani is yet to be seen in Bengal, the district administration declared high alert to be prepared against a storm-like situation. As the day began, the wind speed increased with a light bout of rain. The district administration opened a control room given the storm alert.

Kolkata airport is functional, however, airport authorities have asked airlines to cancel both domestic and international flights from 3:00 pm on Friday till 8:30 am on Saturday in the wake of cyclone Fani. Technicians and engineers along with emergency systems have been put on standby at Kolkata airport.

Following Cyclone Fani's landfall in Odisha's Puri, BJP leader Sambit Patra took to Twitter and prayed for the well being of people in the affected region.

NDRF team deployed at Digha evacuated total 132 people, including 52 children, from Dattapur and Tajpur. They have been taken to a shelter, ANI reported.

Cyclone Fani has moved away from Andhra Pradesh, confirmed India Met Department. Speaking to ANI , Mrityunjay Mohapatra from IMD, Delhi said, "So, we have issued a de-warning. Three districts in Andhra Pradesh were impacted by heavy rainfall."

It is very likely to continue to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on 4 May evening as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph.

Earlier, in an IMD bulletin, the weather body said that after the landfall, the system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early Saturday.

In the next three hours, Cyclone Fani is expected to weaken with a wind speed of 150-160 km per hour. Gradually it will weaken and move north-northeastwards. By evening, it is likely to weaken into a severe cyclonic storm over the extreme northern part of Odisha, officials at IMD Delhi confirmed.

Indian Navy's P-8I and Dornier are being scheduled to be launched on Friday afternoon to undertake aerial survey to assess the extent of impact and devastation after Cyclone Fani crossed the Odisha coast.

The concrete ghats of old and new Digha sea beach gave away at around 11 am on Friday, as the cyclone hit Bengal. The West Bengal government has been evacuating tourists on a war footing. So far, 70,000 families have been evacuated from the coastal belt of Bengal already and further evacuation efforts are underway.

Shortly after the storm hit Digha coast, 15 houses have collapsed in East Midnapore district as heavy rains and winds raged through. No casualties have been reported yet.

With more than 70,000 people evacuated in West Bengal already, many of the people moved from their houses have taken shelter at a school in Digha's Ramnagar Padima village which falls under Block One of the East Medinipur district. As many as 300 people have been evacuated from that block.

Speaking at a rally in Rajasthan's Hidaun, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 1,000 crore relief package for Cyclone Fani. "We have gathered here today. At the same time people living in coastal areas in eastern and southern India are facing an extremely severe cyclone. The Centre is in continuous contact with governments in Odisha, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. I took the latest update from officers. I held a review meeting yesterday," said the prime minister, adding that the nation was "with the people".

The Chief Election Commissioner has exempted four cyclone-hit districts from the purview of the Model Code of Conduct in response to a petition from Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu had alleged that the Election Commission had shown preferential treatment in favour of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, enabling relief operations in his state.

News reports have said that six people have died in Kendrapada and Nayapalli in Odisha in what are the very first reports of casualty from the state. The Odisha government has not confirmed any deaths yet. News18 has reported that the deaths occured due to wall collapses.

"On 4 May it will enter Bangladesh and from 5 May onwards things will be normalised. Heavy rains and extremely heavy rains will be witnessed in one or two places in the coastal areas of West Bengal from evening to early Saturday morning. The cyclone is likely to enter Kolkata in the evening and cause heavy rains till Saturday morning," Bandhopadhyay added.

Sanjeev Bandhopadhyay, Deputy DGM Meteorological Department has held a press conference to announce that the "extremely severe cyclonic storm" had crossed Puri from 8 am to 10 am, the eye of the storm is now on land and that it has weakened to a "severe cyclonic storm."

Twelve more trains have been cancelled by the South Eastern Railway in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani. As of now 157 trains have been cancelled by the East Coast Railway and 12 by the South East Railway.

Ferry services from Babughat in Kolkata have been stopped from 1 pm on Friday and will resume on Saturday if the weather conditions improve.

The woman is a railway employee and works as a helper at at the Coach Repair Workshop at Mancheswar. Both the mother and the child are fine. The cyclone had put a lot of pregnant women in danger, it was reported on Thursday.

A 32-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl at the Railway Hospital in Bhubaneswar at 11:03 am, just as Cyclone Fani was passing through Odisha. The baby was named after the cyclonic storm, Fani, reported ANI.

At a press conference, BJP’s general secretary Kailash Vijayvargia said, “Eight districts in West Bengal will be affected due to cyclone Fani. All political programmes remain cancelled from the BJP. We request all to stay in their districts. We pray this doesn’t create much damage. BJP will keep politics aside. If the state government needs any assistance from us, our party workers are ready to help in rescue and relief. We are standing by the CM.”

Extensive damages were done to the structure of AIIMS Bhubaneswar due to Cyclone Fani, the Press Information Bureau reported. "All patients, staff, students are safe. Many water tanks have blown off, lighting poles were down, air conditioners were damaged. We have enough supplies and are ready to support the state," said health secretary Preeti Sudan.

In a press conference, Sanjeev Bandhopadhyay, Deputy DGM, Indian Meteorological Department, said, “Cyclone Fani has weakened to a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ and is now 200 kilometres southwest from the coastal area of Digha in East Midnapore district and 340 kilometres southwest of Kolkata. The cyclone is expected to weaken further in the next nine hours. The cyclone is expected to make landfall in West Bengal at a speed of 80-115 kmph at midnight. There is a possibility of the cyclone entering earlier in the evening."

"Yet we managed the disaster well by ensuring no casualties and minimise damages," Naidu said, asking the EC to enforce the Model Code of Conduct from public interest point of view

He said the EC gave him permission to monitor the situation only after Cyclone Fani had crossed Andhra Pradesh's coast.

"We have requested the NDRF to deploy at least one platoon at the state capital. The NDRF personnel would assist the state in case of any emergency," Shylla said. — PTI

The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states, including Meghalaya.

One NDRF platoon, comprising 25 to 30 personnel, has been sought from Guwahati, Meghalaya Revenue and Disaster Minister Kyrmen Shylla said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall in Odisha on Friday morning. It is gradually heading towards West Bengal and from there it is likely to move towards the north-east, the officials said.

The Meghalaya government has sought deployment of a platoon of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the state in view of Cyclone Fani, officials said.

According to News18 , there will be heavy to very heavy rainfall in Assam in at least ten places, including in Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Chirang, Barpeta, Kamrup, South Salmara, Mankachar and parts of Baksa.

"As per telephonic information, in Puri, extensive damage (was done) to kuchha houses, old buildings and temporary shops. There are no confirmed reports of deaths, but 160 have been reportedly injured. Power and telecom is completely down. NDRF and state forces are clearing roads," ANI quoted a central government spokesperson as saying.

The control room will be functioning 24×7 to take oversee relief and evacuation work in the state.

In addition to the 169 trains that were cancelled, 56 more trains were cancelled by the East Coast Railway in view of Cyclone Fani.

"Proactively, we have ensured sufficient fuel supply to our sites across all locations, and stocking at strategic locations," it said.

Vodafone, on the other hand, said that the helpline number 1938 is available for people in case of emergency.

It also said that SMS has been made free in three affected states for 5 days.

Airtel in its statement said that war rooms with dedicated teams have been established in the state/circle offices to monitor impact of operations and coordinate quick recovery.

"We have requested the NDRF to deploy at least one platoon at the state capital. The NDRF personnel would assist the state in case of any emergency," Shylla said. — PTI

The IMD has warned of thundersquall accompanied with gusty winds and heavy rains for the next 48 hours across the northeastern states, including Meghalaya.

One NDRF platoon, comprising 25 to 30 personnel, has been sought from Guwahati, Meghalaya Revenue and Disaster Minister Kyrmen Shylla said.

The extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall in Odisha on Friday morning. It is gradually heading towards West Bengal and from there it is likely to move towards the north-east, the officials said.

The Meghalaya government has sought deployment of a platoon of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the state in view of Cyclone Fani, officials said.

Cyclone Fani in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, LATEST News and updates | Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused the Election Commission of having scuttled his plans on cyclone rescue and relief operations.

A special notice from the West Bengal government says, "Every primary and high school in the districts should be prepared for any sort of emergency. The keys should be handed over to either local people or the teachers. No flood victim or evacuated villager should wait for shelter."

At a press conference, Sanjeev Bandhopadhyay, Deputy DGM, Indian Meteorological Department, said, “Cyclone Fani has weakened to a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ and is now 200 kilometres southwest from the coastal area of Digha in East Midnapore district and 340 kilometres southwest of Kolkata. The cyclone is expected to weaken further in the next nine hours. The cyclone is expected to make landfall in West Bengal at a speed of 80-115 kmph at midnight. There is a possibility of the cyclone entering earlier in the evening."

At a press conference, BJP’s general secretary Kailash Vijayvargia said, “Eight districts in West Bengal will be affected due to cyclone Fani. All political programmes remain cancelled from the BJP. We request all to stay in their districts. We pray this doesn’t create much damage. BJP will keep politics aside. If the state government needs any assistance from us, our party workers are ready to help in rescue and relief. We are standing by the CM.”

A 32-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl at the Railway Hospital in Bhubaneswar at 11:03 am, just as Cyclone Fani was passing through Odisha. The baby was named after the cyclonic storm, Fani, reported ANI.

The woman is a railway employee and works as a helper at at the Coach Repair Workshop at Mancheswar. Both the mother and the child are fine. The cyclone had put a lot of pregnant women in danger, it was reported on Thursday.

Bhubaneswar has borne some of the worst brunt of Cyclone Fani with widespread damage at not just the city airport but across the city. The city now stares at one of the most extensive reconstruction efforts.

Sanjeev Bandhopadhyay, Deputy DGM Meteorological Department has held a press conference to announce that the "extremely severe cyclonic storm" had crossed Puri from 8 am to 10 am, the eye of the storm is now on land and that it has weakened to a "severe cyclonic storm." On 4 May, the storm will enter Bangladesh and from 5 May onwards things will be normalised, he said.

News reports have said that six people have died in Kendrapada and Nayapalli in Odisha in what are the very first reports of casualty from the state. The Odisha government has not confirmed any deaths yet.

With the cyclonic storm showing the very first signs of letting up in Odisha, National Disaster Response Force teams have already begun work in Balasore district of Odisha and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh.

The India Meteorological Department has said that Fani looks to weaken in the next three hours. At his rally in Rajasthan's Hindaun, Narendra Modi promised a Rs 1,000 crore relief package for Cyclone Fani. "I conducted a meeting on the level of preparedness," the prime minister said on Friday.

The concrete ghats of old and new Digha sea beach gave away at around 11 am on Friday, as the cyclone hit Bengal. The West Bengal government has been evacuating tourists on a war footing. So far, 70,000 families have been evacuated from the coastal belt of Bengal already and further evacuation efforts are underway.

Indian Navy's P-8I and Dornier are being scheduled to be launched on Friday afternoon to undertake aerial survey to assess the extent of impact and devastation after Cyclone Fani crossed the Odisha coast. Cyclone Fani has moved away from Andhra Pradesh, confirmed India Met Department. Speaking to ANI, Mrityunjay Mohapatra from IMD, Delhi said, "So, we have issued a de-warning. Three districts in Andhra Pradesh were impacted by heavy rainfall."

Kolkata airport is functional, however, airport authorities have asked airlines to cancel both domestic and international flights from 3:00 pm on Friday till 8:30 am on Saturday in the wake of cyclone Fani. Technicians and engineers along with emergency systems have been put on standby at Kolkata airport.

North coastal Andhra Pradesh is facing a flood threat as Cyclone Fani has crossed the Indian coast 15 kilometres off Gopalpur in Odisha. Rivers originating from Odisha are expected to be in spate, Srikakulam collector, J Nivas said.

According to the latest IMD bulletin, the impact is likely to reduce and Cyclone Fani is likely to move towards the West Bengal coast. The system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early Saturday.

Fani is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, close to Puri before 11 am with a maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. After the landfall., the system is very likely to continue to move north-northeastwards, weaken gradually and emerge into Gangetic West Bengal as a severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 90-100 kmph gusting to 115 kmph by early Saturday.

It is very likely to continue to move further north-northeastwards and emerge into Bangladesh on 4 May evening as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 60-70 kmph gusting to 80 kmph.

Severe cyclonic storm Fani made landfall at 8 am. Part of the eye lies over land at 8.30 am. The entire process of eye entering into the land will be completed in next two hours. Current wind speed of the storm is 175 to 185 kmph in Puri gusting to 195 kmph. Puri reported maximum sustained windspeed of 142 km/h gusting to 174 km/h at 7:30 am today.

Reports said that even with a wind speed of 175 kmph gusting up to 200 kmph, that is not just the worry with Cyclone Fani. The tidal surge, which experts have predicted could go up to 30 feet, that will submerge several coastal and low lying areas.

The India Met Department has confirmed the impact of the landfall process has begun already in Odisha. The wind speed of the storm is 175 kmph. The eye of the storm will hit the landmass at point of time now, said Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi. Speaking to reporters, IMD chief HR Biswas said, "The impact of landfall process has started. Fani will make a landfall between 8-11 am. In the morning at 6:31 am it was 70 km south-southwest of Puri, it is moving now."

Cyclone Fani is making landfall right now near Puri in Odisha as a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists have dubbed the extremely severe storm as one of the strongest landfalling cyclones in the country's recorded history.

Cyclone Fani has reached close to Odisha coast near Puri. The wind speed of the storm is 175 kmph. The eye of the storm will hit the landmass at point of time now, said Odisha Special Relief Commissioner Bishnupada Sethi.

Cyclone Fani is very likely to cross Odisha Coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, south of Puri during 3 May forenoon with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. Landfall process is very likely to continue till noon of Friday.

Being touted as India's worst cyclone in the past 20 years, Cyclone Fani is expected to make landfall on the coast of Odisha near Puri around noon today. Reports, however, have conflicting time regarding the landfall. While some said the landfall process will start from 8 am, other reports said the landfall can be around noon or even later even in the day.

The Indian Meteorological Department's morning bulletin states that the extremely severe Cyclone Fani law centered about 80 kilometres south-southwest of Puri, 65 kilometres southeast of Gopalpur and 280 kilometres east-northeast of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

It is very likely to move north-northeastwards and cross Odisha Coast near to Puri in between 8 to 10 am with maximum sustained wind speed of 170-180 kmph gusting to 200 kmph. The landfall process is very likely to continue till noon/afternoon of 3rd May.

The ‘extremely severe’ cyclonic storm Fani is expected to make a landfall near the pilgrim town of Puri in Odisha on Friday early afternoon. The state government has issued a safety advisory and asked people to remain indoors.

The landfall is expected to last for a period of four to five hours and over 11 lakh people have been evacuated all over Odisha from vulnerable and low-lying areas. The most vulnerable districts are Gajapati, Ganjam, Khurda, Puri, Naygarh, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Balasore. Around 4,000 shelters, including 880 specially designed cyclone centres, are housing the evacuees.

All shops, business establishments, private and government offices except those associated with relief and rescue operations will remain closed. Chief Secretary AP Padhi said, "There may be a lull before the storm, but it will be the most dangerous phase and people should be extremely careful and keep indoor.”

Fani, according to sources, has gathered speed and is rolling dangerously towards the coast clocking 17 km per hour and lay 275 km south-southwest of Puri around 9.30 pm on 2 May. Navy, Air Force, Army and Coast Guard have already been put on high alert and personnel of National Disaster Response Force, Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and fire service have also been deployed in vulnerable areas.

Leave of all doctors and health officials and police personnel have been cancelled. The Railways said a large number trains have been cancelled as a precautionary measure. The East Coast Railway has cancelled over 147 trains till 4 May, an ECoR official said in Bhubaneswar. Three special trains were run from Puri to Howrah and Shalimar in West Bengal on Thursday to facilitate the evacuation of tourists.

Flight operations from Bhubaneswar airport are also suspended for 24 hours from Thursday midnight. India's biggest oil and gas producer ONGC has removed close to 500 of its employees from offshore installations in the Bay of Bengal and moved drilling rigs to safer locations.

After crossing Odisha, the cyclone is likely to move towards West Bengal and is still likely to impact parts of the northeast, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. There is forecast of massive tides that could surge up to 1.5 metres during the landfall. Fishermen have been advised against venturing into the sea.

With inputs from PTI