Cyclone Nisarga has made landfall near Alibaug on the Maharashtra coast and the "process" will be completed by about 4 pm, the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

The landfall process started around 12.30 pm.

It made landfall about 40 km from Alibaug, 95 km from Mumbai.

SEE: Cyclone Nisarg hits Maharashtra

Video courtesy of Dr Nilesh Nangre, orthopaedic surgeon

 "The right side of the wall cloud passes through coastal region of Maharashtra, mainly the Raigad district. It will gradually enter into Mumbai and Thane districts during the next three hours," the IMD said in a statement. 

The wind speed of the cyclone is currently 100-110 kilometres per hour, it added.

The IMD has predicted the storm will have an impact on areas in North Maharashtra, Pune, Ahmednagar, where rainfall is expected.

The department has said kuccha houses, trees, electric poles may fall as they may not be able to withstand the speed of the storm.

Bracing for the impact of what is being billed as the most severe cyclone to hit Mumbai, the Central Railway rescheduled special trains and many airlines also cancelled their Mumbai operations.

As a precautionary measure, the National Disaster Response Force has evacuated around 1500 people staying in a shelter at Thal near Alibaug, an official said. The teams also evacuated people from Uttan and Mira Bhayandar, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to their chief ministers on Tuesday and assured them all possible help from the Centre.

Nearly 43,000 people living near the coastline in Gujarat's Valsad and Navsari districts have been shifted to safer places as the state prepares to face the approaching cyclonic storm, officials said.

All fishing boats which were out in the sea off Palghar coast have returned, an official said.