Cyclone Fani: Severe storm strikes Odisha, over 1 million evacuated

Cyclone Fani made landfall in Odisha's Puri district today. Around 1.1 million people in Odisha were moved to safer areas. Almost 900 cyclone shelters have been made ready. The Cyclone Warning Division of the India Meteorological Department said the wind speed of the extremely severe Cyclone Fani could reach 200-230km when it makes landfall. The director of Bhubaneswar's Regional Meteorological Centre HR Biswas said the impact of landfall process has started and that Cyclone Fani will make landfall between 8am and 11am. 10,000 villages and 52 towns in nine districts will be affected in Odisha. Flight and train operations remain suspended.