India warns of cyclone, thousands told to evacuate

Thousands of people today prepared to move to higher ground as a cyclone with a wind speed of up to 60 MPH moved toward India’s southern coast, a state government official said.

Authorities asked fishermen to stay away from the sea as the storm Baaz was likely to hit the coast in Andhra Pradesh state tomorrow, said G Sudhakara Rao, director of the Meteorological Centre.

Today, the storm was centred nearly 240 miles south-east of Madras, the capital of Tamil Nadu state, in the Bay of Bengal, Rao said.

Heavy rains were likely to hit the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh state.