Authorities were also preparing to relocate residents of low-lying areas to cyclone shelters ahead of the storm’s expected arrival.

Two Indian states along the country’s eastern coast were preparing to evacuate thousands of residents ahead of Cyclone Arnab, which was expected to make landfall on Wednesday, while authorities in Odisha announced school closures in several districts.

The storm, which developed over the Bay of Bengal before intensifying into a cyclonic storm, was forecast to make landfall in Andhra Pradesh by Wednesday morning, with wind gusts reaching up to 140 kilometres per hour (87 miles per hour), India’s weather office said.

The weather department warned that the system could intensify further.

Evacuations Planned in Andhra Pradesh

Cyclone Arnab was expected to bring heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to northern and central coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh, as well as southern parts of neighbouring Odisha.

Authorities in Andhra Pradesh urged boats operating at sea to return to shore and ordered the speedy restoration of electricity in the event of power disruptions.

A senior state disaster management official told Reuters on Monday that authorities had identified 570,000 people as vulnerable, with evacuation operations scheduled to begin on Monday evening.

Odisha Closes Schools and Colleges

Odisha’s government announced that schools and colleges in five districts would remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as a precautionary measure.

Authorities were also preparing to relocate residents of low-lying areas to cyclone shelters ahead of the storm’s expected arrival.

The Bay of Bengal is one of the world’s major regions for tropical cyclones, which can bring destructive winds, flooding and heavy rainfall to coastal communities.