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Cyclone Phailin makes landfall in India | Cyclone Phailin makes landfall in India |
(35 minutes later) | |
A huge cyclone that has forced as many as 500,000 people to flee their homes has made landfall in eastern India. | A huge cyclone that has forced as many as 500,000 people to flee their homes has made landfall in eastern India. |
Winds were measured at 200 km/h (125mph) as Cyclone Phailin hit the coast near Gopalpur, Orissa state, at about 21:15 (15:45 GMT). | Winds were measured at 200 km/h (125mph) as Cyclone Phailin hit the coast near Gopalpur, Orissa state, at about 21:15 (15:45 GMT). |
Authorities had predicted a storm surge of at least 3m (10ft) that was expected to cause extensive damage. | Authorities had predicted a storm surge of at least 3m (10ft) that was expected to cause extensive damage. |
Officials say they are better prepared than in 1999 when a cyclone killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa. | Officials say they are better prepared than in 1999 when a cyclone killed more than 10,000 people in Orissa. |
Cylcone Phailin has been classed as "very severe". | Cylcone Phailin has been classed as "very severe". |
The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder reported heavy rain and high winds lashing Gopalpur as the cyclone made landfall. | The BBC's Sanjoy Majumder reported heavy rain and high winds lashing Gopalpur as the cyclone made landfall. |
The storm has ripped up trees and road signs, and cut power supplies in some areas. Five deaths were linked to the cyclone by Indian media. | |
Officials had earlier said that no-one would be allowed to stay in mud and thatched houses along the coast of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states. | Officials had earlier said that no-one would be allowed to stay in mud and thatched houses along the coast of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states. |
The army is on standby for emergency and relief operations. | The army is on standby for emergency and relief operations. |
Helicopters and food packages were ready to be dropped in the storm-affected areas. | Helicopters and food packages were ready to be dropped in the storm-affected areas. |
Hours before the cyclone made landfall it was generating winds of 240 km/h (150mph) over the Bay of Bengal. | |
Sushant Sahoo, a resident of Orissa's state capital, Bhubaneswar, told the BBC that it had been raining there since the morning, and the streets were empty. | |
"We have no electricity, it is very dark right now and very grim," she said. | |
"I have dry food and candles. The local government has been good at getting everyone prepared and taking care of people." | |
India's eastern coast and Bangladesh are routinely hit by cyclonic storms between April and November that cause deaths and widespread damage to property. | |
In December 2011, Cyclone Thane hit the southern state of Tamil Nadu, killing dozens of people. | |
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