Anniversary of cyclone Phailin: India braces for super cyclone Hudhud

© Xinhua

The cyclone is expected to make landfall near the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh by Sunday noon

Indian authorities have begun evacuation programmes and put rescue teams on alert as the eastern coast of the country braces for severe cyclone .

Cyclone centers have been set up in the eastern Indian state of Odisha and the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh where thousands of evacuated people will take shelter. India's weather body on Friday upgraded its warning to "very severe cyclonic storm".

The cyclone is expected to make landfall near the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh by Sunday noon.

India's National Disaster Response Force has dispatched 39 teams to the two states.

The India Meteorological Department said the cyclone will hit the east coast at a speed of 140-150 kmph with wind speeds of up to 165 kmph. Fishing expeditions have been suspended in many areas of the two states while schools and colleges are shut on Saturday owing to the approaching storm.

"We are expecting Hudhud's intensity to decrease 12 hours after hitting the coast," said India Meteorological Department director general LS Rathore.

This comes exactly a year after another super typhoon Phailin, hit the Odisha coast that killed nearly 30 people and displaced more than 400,000.