Cyclone Fani, the strongest storm in India in two decades, hit Odisha this morning and has started making its impact felt. Large areas in the temple town of Puri and other places were submerged as heavy rain battered the coast, according to officials. Strong winds were seen in parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal as well. The impact of the landfall is likely to continue till around 11 am and after that, the cyclone is expected to move north-westwards and gradually weaken as it reaches Bengal by early tomorrow morning. The Odisha government has evacuated over 11 lakh people from the coastal areas to camps on higher grounds. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and disaster management agencies are on stand-by. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, reviewed preparedness for Cyclone Fani with his senior-most officials.
