New Delhi: Cyclone Titli, that has created a sense of panic and apprehension in the coastal Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, has made landfall at 5:30 am on Thursday near Odisha’s Gopalpur. Meanwhile, the cyclone has been upgraded to the ‘very severe’ category.

The India Meteorological Department says the cyclonic storm named "Titli," or butterfly, had winds blowing up to 150 kilometres per hour and spread widespread rain Thursday in coastal districts in eastern Orissa state.

The cyclone is expected to later hit the Gangetic Bengal. But experts suggest that the storm will lose its intensity from Odisha onwards. The weather department has already put Odisha and coastal Andhra on high alert. Odisha government has instructed Puri, Khurda, Ganjam, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur district administrations to evacuate people from these areas where it is specifically expected to pass through.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said all schools, colleges, and Anganwadi units will remain closed on October 11 and 12. Authorities also set up more than 800 cyclone and flood shelters stocked with food and relief materials.

News agency ANI reported that four NDRF teams are deployed in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vijayanagara areas. As many as 14 NDRF teams are deployed in different parts of Odisha including Balasore, Sambhalpur, Nayagarh, and Puri. Meanwhile, all fish trawlers have been called back to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

Owing to the cyclone, almost all train movements in the Howrah-Chennai route have been temporarily stalled. So far trains are cancelled and as many as 17 are partially cancelled. Many airlines have cancelled flights to Bhubaneswar. 

Bengal may not bear the ultimate brunt, but weather predictions suggest that Southern districts like East and West Midnapore, 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, and Jhargram will experience heavy rainfall between October 10 -13. 

Kolkata will receive heavy rainfall between October 12 – 13, during the Durga Puja.  But the weather in Bengal will improve from October 14 onwards.

Cabinet secretary PK Sinha chaired a late night meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) to take stock of the situation. The government of India sources told MyNation that additional NDRF teams will be sent to Odisha on urgent basis if the situation demands.

The cyclone has damaged mud huts and uprooted trees and electric poles in eastern India where authorities have moved nearly 3,00,000 people to higher ground. 

Bangladesh's coastal districts were also warned to prepare for possible storm effects there. Boats were ordered ashore and inland ferries were told to suspend services.