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Eastern India on high alert for massive cyclone

An Indian man holds an umbrella to protect himself from the heavy rains near Gopalpur, in Ganjam district, 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Bhubaneswar, India, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. The India Meteorological Department described Cyclone Hudhud as a "very severe" storm that could pack winds of 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour and cause torrential rains when it makes landfall near the port city of Visakhapatnam around noon Sunday. (AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout) An Indian man holds an umbrella to protect himself from the heavy rains near Gopalpur, in Ganjam district, 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of Bhubaneswar, India, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014. The India Meteorological Department described Cyclone Hudhud as a "very severe" storm that could pack winds of 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour and cause torrential rains when it makes landfall near the port city of Visakhapatnam around noon Sunday. (AP Photo/Biswaranjan Rout)

By Associated Press October 12, 2014 1 min read

HYDERABAD, India (AP) – Heavy rains and gusting winds are ripping through a large swath of India’s eastern seaboard, uprooting trees and snapping power cables as a powerful cyclone sweeps through the Bay of Bengal.

Cyclone Hudhud, described as a “very severe” storm by India’s meteorological department, could pack winds of 195 kilometers (120 miles) per hour when it makes landfall late Sunday morning.

The cyclone is likely to hit near the city of Visakhapatnam, one of the largest cities in southern India and a major naval base.

Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states as authorities aim for zero casualties.

Hundreds of shelters have been set up to house the evacuees.