Thousands evacuated in India as strong cyclone inches closer

A man walks holding an umbrella on a beach on the Bay of Bengal coast in Odisha, India (AP Photo)

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in low-lying areas of two Indian states and moved to cyclone shelters to escape a powerful storm barrelling towards the eastern coast.

Cyclone Yaas is set to turn into a “very severe cyclonic storm” with sustained wind speeds of up to 177 kilometres per hour (110 miles per hour), the India Meteorological Department said.