Indian authorities order evacuation of about 100,000 people as Cyclone Arnab approaches east coast

Indian authorities ordered about 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha before a severe cyclone expected to make landfall by Wednesday, according to the national meteorological department.

Neighboring Nepal and Sri Lanka also issued weather warnings.

The Indian Meteorological Department said in a bulletin that Cyclone Arnab is expected to hit the southwest coast of Andhra Pradesh as a "very severe cyclonic storm," with gusts reaching speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour, on Wednesday morning at 6:00 GMT (11:30 India Standard Time).

Heavy rain fell on the coast in the coastal city of Kakinada, with huge waves crashing onto the beach.

The Indian Meteorological Office said it expects the cyclone to cause "complete destruction" of thatched houses, cause local flooding, uproot power and communication poles, and cause "widespread damage" to standing crops. In Kakinada, police set up barriers on roads leading to the sea.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu ordered "continuous monitoring of the storm and taking advance precautions," according to his office in a statement on Monday.