The landfall process of cyclone 'Phethai' started from around 12.30 pm. The Phethai is located 35 km east-south-east of Narsapur and 75 km south-south-west of Kakinada on the Andhra Pradesh coast.
At 1.30 pm, it had reached within 35 km South of Yanam, India Met Department (IMD) said, and was expected to cross Kakinada south of Yanam by 5.30 pm with a wind speed of up to 90 km/hr.
Earlier, the IMD had upgraded the cyclone warning for Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts by issuing a 'red message, when severe cyclone 'Phethai' was located 85 km south-south-west of Kakinada.
It was expected to move northwards and cross coast around Kakinada later this evening. However, due to unfavourable environmental conditions, it would to cross coast as a conventional cyclone with a wind speed of up to 90 km/hr and gusting to 100 km/hr.
Thereafter, it would move north-northeastwards and weaken gradually but bring rainfall at most places over coastal Andhra Pradesh with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls (20 cm or above) at isolated places over the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh districts.
These include East Goadavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, Guntur, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts and the Yanam district of Puducherry.