The landfall process of cyclone 'Phethai' started at around 12.30 pm. The Phethai is located 35 km east-south-east of Narsapur and 75 km south-south-west of Kakinada on the Andhra Pradesh coast.

At 1.30 pm, it had reached within 35 km South of Yanam, India Met Department (IMD) said, and was expected to cross Kakinada south of Yanam by 5.30 pm with a wind speed of up to 90 km/hr.

Earlier, the IMD had upgraded the cyclone warning for Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts by issuing a 'red message, when severe cyclone 'Phethai' was located 85 km south-south-west of Kakinada.

It was expected to move northwards and cross coast around Kakinada later this evening. However, due to unfavourable environmental conditions, it would to cross coast as a conventional cyclone with a wind speed of up to 90 km/hr and gusting to 100 km/hr. 

Thereafter, it would move north-northeastwards and weaken gradually but bring rainfall at most places over coastal Andhra Pradesh with heavy to very heavy falls at a few places and extremely heavy falls (20 cm or above) at isolated places over the North Coastal Andhra Pradesh districts. 

These include East Goadavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Krishna, Guntur, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts and the Yanam district of Puducherry.

Read more: Cyclone Phethai disrupts life as it crosses AP coast

PTI report adds:

One person was killed in a landslide caused by heavy rains in Vijayawada city but no other casualties have been reported from elsewhere so far, according to sources in the State Disaster Management Authority.

The South Central Railway has cancelled several trains and rescheduled some others because of the cyclone.

Air traffic to the port city of Visakhapatnam has been hampered due to turbulent weather conditions, following which some flights were diverted to Hyderabad.

A holiday has been declared for educational institutions in the coastal districts of the State as a precautionary measure.

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