Cyclone Fani Live Updates: India braces for \'extremely severe storm\'; About 8 lakh people to be evacuated

Cyclone 'Fani', expected to hit the coasts of Odisha tomorrow, has intensified into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm' with wind speed likely to hit 200 kmph at the time of landfall. The Central and the state government have put the disaster relief machinery including the NDRF, SDRF and Armed forces on high alert. About 800,000 people are expected to be evacuated from low-lying areas of 14 districts in Odisha. The cyclone is currently around 450 km off the Odhisha coast.

The impact of Cyclone 'Fani' is likely to be much more severe than 'Titli', which had hit the Odisha-Andhra coast last year and killed at least 60 people.

Here are all the live updates about Cyclone Fani:
* South Eastern Railway has cancelled 43 trains scheduled to run between Howrah and Puri, and other destinations in south India over the next two days.

* Two more special trains will start from Puri at 3 pm & 6 pm today for Howrah. Stoppages- Khurda Road, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jajpur, Kendujhar road, Bhadrak, Balasore & Kharagpur. #CycloneFani

* India will use boats, buses and trains to evacuate 800,000 people along its east coast

* Cyclone likely to cross the Odisha coast between Gopalpur and Chandbali, to the south of Puri around May 3 afternoon with maximum wind speed of 205 kmph.

* The wind speed of a cyclonic storm is up to 100 kmph. In case of an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm', the wind speed goes up to 170-180 kmph and could gain the speed of 195-200 kmph.

* Currently, Fani lay centred over West Central Bay of Bengal about 430 km south-southwest of Puri in Odisha, 225 km south-southeast of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and 650 km south-southwest of Digha in West Bengal.

* IMD bulletin said storm surge of about 1.5 metre above astronomical tide is likely to inundate low lying areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Odisha at the time of possible landfall.

* Several areas are likely to receive rainfall up to 20 cm under the impact of the cyclone.

* As sea condition will be rough and phenomenal over Northwest Bay of Bengal off Odisha and West Bengal till May 4, fishermen have been advised not to venture into sea in this period.

* The Indian Navy has stationed two ships at Visakhapatnam and Chennai carrying expert divers and doctors.

* Indian Air Force has also been alerted.

* All the 880 cyclone centres have been readied for the purpose. Boats have also been kept in a state of readiness.

* NDRF has deployed 41 teams in Andhra Pradesh (eight teams), Odisha (28) and West Bengal (five teams). In addition, the NDRF is keeping on standby 13 teams in West Bengal and 10 in Andhra Pradesh.

* Higher education department has directed all state universities and colleges in Odisha to remain closed for three days from May 2.