Cyclone Phailin has started crossing Odisha coast near Gopalpur.

Cyclone Phailin has started crossing Odisha coast near Gopalpur. Windspeeds have touched about 200 kmph, IMD sources say. Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall is reported in Odisha and north coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Government on Saturday directed Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to be prepared to handle the anticipated damage to the national highways from cyclone Phailin.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has put the NHAI officials in these states on alert. Regional Officers and Project Directors of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in Odisha, AP, and West Bengal should to be in full readiness to counter the damage to the national highways, an official statement said.

Of the total 3.61 lakh people evacuated in the last 24 hours, 1.2 lakh were from Ganjam district alone, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S.N. Patro said.

Besides Ganjam, 80,000 people in Puri district, 16,380 in Khurda district, 56,998 in Jagatsingh district, 16,000 in Kendrapara district, 14,205 in Bhadrak district, 1950 in Balasore district, 46,409 in Cuttack district, 1,235 in Nayagarh district and 8,000 in Gajapati district were moved to safety, Mr. Patro said.

Of the total 3.61 lakh people evacuated in the last 24 hours, 1.2 lakh were from Ganjam district alone, Revenue and Disaster Management minister S.N. Patro said.

Besides Ganjam, 80,000 people in Puri district, 16,380 in Khurda district, 56,998 in Jagatsingh district, 16,000 in Kendrapara district, 14,205 in Bhadrak district, 1950 in Balasore district, 46,409 in Cuttack district, 1,235 in Nayagarh district and 8,000 in Gajapati district were moved to safety, Mr. Patro said

At least five people were killed as heavy rains and strong winds swept coastal Odisha ahead of cyclone Phailin’s landfall. Of the five dead, two died in Ganjam district, where the cyclone was likely to hit land. Two died in Jagatsinghpur district and one in Bhubaneswar.

Four of the deaths occurred as trees uprooted in strong winds fell on the people. An 80-year-old woman died after her mud house collapsed while she was asleep.

Wind speeds in several parts of Odisha were over 100 km per hour. More than a dozen seaside villages have been inundated.

Govt. ready with choppers, aircraft, ships for cyclone rescue

Eighteen helicopters, 12 aircraft and two war ships have been kept ready by the government for rescue and relief operations in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh which are facing the brunt of cyclone Phailin.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said the Indian Air Force choppers and aircraft and the two navy ships are placed in close proximity of the eastern coastline and would be deployed for rescue and relief operations.

“The cyclone has left Andaman Nicobar Islands and will hit Odisha any time now. Three districts of Andhra Pradesh and 8 districts in Odisha are likely to be affected,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Mr. Shinde said 5.5 lakh people in Odisha and 1 lakh people in Andhra Pradesh were evacuated in safer places, mostly in 500 cyclone shelters.

“Some people have showed resistance . Forces have been alerting them. Police have been trying to evacuate them,” he said.

Cyclone Phailin is closing in on Odisha and is just 30 km away from Gopalpur in Ganjam district tonight, chief of Cyclone Warning Centre Mritunjay Mahapatra said.

Mr. Mahapatra told  in Bhubaneswar that the cyclone will strike with a windspeed of 180 kmph to 190 kmph.

Earlier it was predicted that it will hit the Odisha coast between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. with a speed of 210 kmph to 220 kmph gusting to 230 kmph.

The IMD forecast waves with a height of 3.0 metre to 3.5 metre in Ganjam, Puri, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur districts.

The Great Danger Signal 10 has been hoisted at Gopalpur and Puri and Great Danger Signal 9 at Paradip and Chandbali ports.

7.54 p.m. Cyclone Phailin static, gains strength; 30 km from Gopalpur

7.41 p.m. Windspeeds in Gopalpur is about 180-190 kmph.

7.40 p.m. Impact on coastline between Paradip in Odisha and Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh

7:35 p.m. Wind speeds likely to be more than 230 kmph, says IMD. No power supply in coastal areas of Odisha. Power utilities in Andhra Pradesh under the Eastern Power Distribution Company Ltd have geared up to meet any emergency arising out of cyclone ‘Phailin’ hitting the coastal districts of Srikakulam, West Godavari, East Godavari, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

7.32 p.m. The West Bengal government deployed disaster management and civil defence personnel in the coastal areas with Cyclone Phailin poised to strike neighbouring Odisha this evening.

Manmohan Singh briefed by Cabinet Secretary on arrangements put in place to deal with Cyclone Phailin: PMO.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh directed that all possible assistance be extended to the states which are on alert for cyclone ‘Phailin’ after reviewing the situation soon after his return from an overseas tour.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Singh was briefed by the Cabinet Secretary immediately upon his return from Indonesia.

He was apprised about the arrangements which have been put in place to deal with the crisis.

“PM was briefed by the Cabinet Secretary on the arrangements that have been put in place to deal with the impact of the cyclone,” the PMO said in a tweet.

The cyclone is set to hit the eastern coastline in the evening with lakhs of people having been evacuated by authorities.

Dr. Singh had gone to take part in the 11th ASEAN-India summit in Brunei from where he travelled to Indonesia.

Intermittent rains and up to 150 kmph winds hit Srikakulam.

Cyclone Phailin, which is likely to hit the eastern coast anytime now, was just 70 km off Gopaplpur and has intensified its speed, Meteorological department said.

The storm, which is likely to make a landfall anytime between 6 to 8 p.m., has intensified its speed to 20 kmph — it was moving at the speed of 15 kmph until few hours back.

“The cyclone makes landfall on Saturday evening and the intensity will continue until Sunday morning, but will slowly mellow down by Sunday evening and Monday morning,” said L.S. Rathore, Director-General Meterology told reporters on Saturday.

“With the tides rising up to 3 to 3.5 meters, sea water could enter in land up to 300-600 meters. The Ganjam area will be maximum hit due to this,” he added.