Two people have been killed as Cyclone Fani, one of the most severe storms to hit the region in recent years, made landfall at 08:00 local time (02:30 GMT) on Friday in India.
The powerful cyclone slammed into India’s eastern coastline, bringing torrential rains and winds of up to 200 km/h (125mph).
More than one million people have been evacuated from the eastern state of Orissa, also called Odisha.
Flooding has also been reported in several areas, and forecasters say a storm surge of 1.5m (5ft) could threaten low-lying homes.
The cyclone which made landfall in the tourist town of Puri, which is home to the 858-year-old Jagannath temple,is expected to hit 15 districts in Orissa, one of India’s poorest states, before weakening on Saturday.
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