Cyclone Arnab is expected to make landfall soon, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), as coastal states race against time to evacuate people from vulnerable areas.
The storm has already brought high tidal waves that inundated coastal areas, with local residents seen wading through seawater and retrieving vehicles after flooding hit the region.
Authorities are working to move people out of low-lying and exposed areas as the weather system continues to intensify its impact along the coast.
