Heavy rains and gusts ripped through a large swath of India’s eastern seaboard, uprooting trees and snapping power cables as a powerful cyclone swept through the Bay of Bengal, one of two storms pounding Asia yesterday.
In Japan, at least 35 people were reported injured as Typhoon Vongfong, packing winds of up to 180km/h, unleashed rains and gusts on Okinawa and was aiming at the next island of Kyushu, where authorities told 150,000 people to evacuate.
Cyclone Hudhud, described as very severe by India’s meteorological department, was predicted to pack winds of up to 195km/h when it made landfall last night.
The cyclone is expected to hit near the city of Visakhapatnam, one of the largest cities in southern India and a major naval base.
At least 400,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states as authorities aimed for zero casualties.
Hundreds of shelters were set up to house the evacuees.
As the storm approached the coast yesterday, it picked up speed and strength and experts said it could cause widespread devastation. Hundreds of trees had been uprooted, said the chief staff officer of India’s Eastern Naval Command SK Grewal, adding 30 diving and 20 rescue teams were on standby.
Hundreds of rescuers of India’s National Disaster Response Force were spread out across the two states that were expected to take the brunt of the cyclone.
Electricity lines had been disconnected in separate parts of Andhra Pradesh to avoid electrocutions, said Arvind Kumar, a relief and rescue official.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said Typhoon Vongfong could reach the Tokyo area by tomorrow, gradually losing strength as it moves up the archipelago.
Authorities issued landslide warnings as strong winds knocked out power lines, temporarily halting bullet train services for several hours on Kyushu.
The US military on Okinawa, where last week’s typhoon killed three US airmen who were washed out at sea, instructed personnel and their families to remain indoors yesterday until strong winds and rain subsided.