Andhra Pradesh and Odisha set up nearly 4,000 cyclone shelters and moved thousands of people to safety while the railways cancelled at least 50 trains in the region ahead of the "very severe" cyclonic storm Arnab's landfall near Visakhapatnam early on Wednesday.
At least 21 flights were cancelled at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports on Tuesday, affecting services to Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa. For Wednesday, 15 flights at Vijayawada airport have been cancelled, an official said.
According to the India Meteorological Department, the cyclone was hurtling towards the Andhra Pradesh coast with increased speed and was expected to make landfall between 2 am and 4 am of October 28.
The storm was 170 km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam and 170 km east-northeast of Andhra Pradesh's Machilipatnam. Upon landfall, the sustained wind speed was expected to be 125-135 kmph and occasionally gusting up to 150 kmph.
Both the eastern coastal states have put disaster management personnel on standby and imposed traffic restrictions on many roads.
The Andhra Pradesh government has set up 2,131 cyclone shelters across the state's 20 districts, kept 1,087 medical teams on standby in areas likely to be affected by the storm, and readied 8,281 emergency beds and 1,274 ambulances, officials said.
Besides moving people away from vulnerable areas, the government has also shifted 1,351 pregnant women to hospitals, they said, adding that two months' worth of essential commodities have been stocked at 14,686 ration shops, and cyclone alerts were being sent to the mobile phones of 2.70 crore people.
According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Srikakulam district is likely to experience heavy rain accompanied by strong winds, while strong winds have already begun in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to ensure essential supplies at relief camps and minimise cyclone-related damage.
The Indian Railways have placed around 600 km of tracks under close surveillance ahead of the cyclone's expected landfall, with safety protocols and rapid restoration measures in place, officials said. War rooms have been activated at zonal, divisional and Railway Board levels for round-the-clock monitoring.
While the South Coast Railway has cancelled 24 trains scheduled for Wednesday, the East Coast Railway has cancelled 22 trains. So far, the South Eastern Railway has cancelled four trains, officials said.
IMD's Director General Mrunjay Mohapatra said, "During landfall in Andhra Pradesh, wind speed would be at 125 kmph to 135 kmph and gusting up to 150 kmph. The southern Odisha coast will experience wind speeds of 60 kmph to 80 kmph. Wind at this velocity can cause major property damage."
Odisha, where heavy rains have already started, has closed schools in 16 of the state's 30 districts. Out of its target of shifting 48,000 people to cyclone shelters, more than 30,000 have already been moved there, a revenue department official said. Entry to sea beaches has been banned.
The state's Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh P Patil said 135 permanent cyclone shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters had been prepared to accommodate people from vulnerable areas.
The state government has deployed 294 rescue teams -- nine from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), 60 from the SDRF and 225 Fire Services teams, officials said.
Maintaining that the government had set a "zero casualty" target, Patil said district collectors had been directed to take all necessary measures to protect lives and property.
Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said heavy rain in the upper catchment areas of rivers in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand could trigger flash floods and waterlogging in western and northern Odisha.
Odisha's major ports, including Paradip, Dhamra and Gopalpur, have also stepped up preparations in view of the approaching storm.
The very severe cyclonic storm also brought rain to parts of West Bengal in the afternoon.
The coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur experienced moderate rain, while parts of Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Howrah and Kolkata also received rainfall, the IMD said.
Over the next two days, heavy rain is likely in South 24 Parganas, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Jhargram, Purulia, Bankura and Paschim Bardhaman, while Kolkata is expected to receive light to moderate rain, it said.
In the sub-Himalayan region, heavy rain is expected in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri on October 29 and 30, it added.
In neighbouring Jharkhand, the Ranchi district administration ordered closure of schools on October 28 and 29 as a rain alert was issued.
A 'yellow' alert for heavy rain has been issued for Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Saraikela-Kharsawan, East and West Singhbhum for 24 hours starting from 8.30 am on October 28. Warnings for thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds were also issued.
(With inputs from PTI)