Two people have died after the “extremely severe cyclonic storm” Fani, one of the most powerful storms to hit India in years, made landfall in Odisha state.

Officials said one man died of a heart attack in a shelter and another was struck by a falling tree, while there are reports of villages inundated with water in several areas and heavy rain across the eastern state.

The storm, which is expected to bring widespread disruption across India and neighbouring Bangladesh, was still sustaining wind gusts of up to 195kph (121mph) as the eye moved over the coast at 8.30am local time on Friday, officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The IMD said the eye of the storm was completely over land by 10am. Fani is expected to bring damage to property and crops, and extensive impacts to power supplies, and road and rail networks.

Close to 60km (37 miles) inland, high winds uprooted trees and electricity poles in the state capital Bhubaneshwar, a Reuters witness reported.

Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Show all 40 1 /40 Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A man removes debris from a collapsed house after floods in Paravur Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An ariel shot of Kerala from Thiruvanpuram Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan and his family clean up their house in Mundancavu village at Chegannur upon returning home after the flood waters receded Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People assess damage caused by floods on the outskirts of Kochi AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Men paddle their boat through the lawns of a partially submerged church at Kuttanad in Alleppey district Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Sandhya Biji and her son in front of their damaged house on the banks of Pamba river Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Border Security Force distribute food food and water to the residents who are stuck in their houses as well who have not vacated houses because of the flood water in interior places at Allapy Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A damaged house on the banks of Pamba river Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan cleaning up his house Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An aerial view shows partially submerged houses at a flooded area in the southern state of Kerala Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Murgan and his family clean up their house Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People are airlifted by the Indian Navy soldiers during a rescue operation Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People wait for aid on the roof of their house Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian volunteers and rescue personal evacuate local residents AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian people use a boat to rescue an elderly man in the flooded water in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An aerial view shows partially submerged houses at a flooded area in the southern state of Kerala Reuters Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian woman watches residents walking through flood streets next to their marooned houses AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian army personal evacuate local residents AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian commuters wade through flooded streets AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People move past a flooded road in Thrissur AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Water gushes out following heavy rain and landslide in Kozhikode AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Fire and Rescue personnel evacuate local residents in an inflatable boat from a flooded area at Muppathadam near Eloor AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian residents look at the Shiva Temple submerged AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Roads and houses engulfed in water following heavy rain and landslide in Kozhikode. AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India People look at vehicles stuck in the mud AFP/Getty Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A young man wades through a flooded street in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Rescue operations being conducted at the landslide location at Kuttampuzha AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An elderly woman is rescued in a cooking utensil AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Local residents look at a partially destroyed house after heavy monsoon rains led to a landslide in Kannappankund AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian woman sits inside her house immersed in flood waters in Ernakulam district of Kochi AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian fire and rescue personnel evacuate local resident AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India A woman stands at the door of her flooded home in Kochi EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India India residents stand on the shore as Periyar river flooded AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India An Indian man carries a basket of bananas next to houses immersed in flood waters AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Laborers hailing from northern states wade through flood waters as they shift to higher ground AP Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan (L) along with opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala (2L) visit relief camp in Chengamanadu Government Higher Secondary School AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Athirampally Falls EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India epa06939658 A structure is submerged in flood water following heavy rain in Kochi, Kerala state, India, 09 August 2018 (issued 10 August 2018). According to reports, the Indian state of Kerala has been hit by heavy rains, causing floods and killing at least 20 people. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rain to continue on the 10 August. EPA/PRAKASH ELAMAKKARA PRAKASH ELAMAKKARA EPA Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Indian residents look at houses destroyed by flood waters at Kannappankundu AFP/Getty Images Kerala floods: heavy monsoon rains lead to deaths in India Kochi's International airport apron flooded AFP/Getty Images

Odisha’s state government claimed to have evacuated more than a million people living along India’s east coast in the 24 hours before the storm’s arrival, according to a tweet by chief minister Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha has deployed hundreds of disaster management personnel, closed schools and colleges and asked doctors and other health officials not to go on leave until 15 May. The state expects 15 districts to be badly affected by the storm.

The airport at Bhubaneshwar will be shut on Friday. Neighbouring West Bengal state also decided to close an airport at Kolkata, its capital.

Naval warships and helicopters have also been moved to the state in anticipation of rescue operations. Several teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also been sent.

India is currently in the midst of a mammoth six-week general election, which severely limits the operations of local and national governments. But the Election Commission has relaxed the rules about decision-making processes so that authorities can respond more rapidly to carry out relief work.

India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has asked his officials to stay in touch with the states at risk from Cyclone Fani.

India’s cyclone season can last from April to December, when severe storms batter coastal cities and cause widespread deaths, and damage to crops and property, in both India and neighbouring Bangladesh.

Technological advancements have helped meteorologists to predict weather patterns well in advance, giving authorities more time to prepare.

A super-cyclone battered the coast of Odisha for 30 hours in 1999, killing almost 10,000 people. In 2017, Cyclone Ockhi killed more than 200 people and in October last year another cyclone sparked widespread evacuations.

A mass evacuation of nearly a million people likely saved thousands of lives in 2013.