Hyderabad, October 11
More than 1.10 lakh people were today evacuated from five coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh as cyclonic storm Hudhud hurtled towards the north Andhra coast, where it is expected to make a landfall on Sunday afternoon.

In an emergency high-level meeting to review preparedness for the cyclone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked officials to ensure that rescue and relief operations proceed smoothly and people are informed about the cyclone on a real-time basis.

Packing a wind speed of 170-180 kmph, Hudhud, categorised as a severe cyclonic storm, is expected to make landfall near the port city of Visakhapatnam. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has been constantly reviewing the situation with top officials and has also requested the ISRO to provide satellite images of Hudhud’s course. Besides, personnel and equipment of the Indian Army and the Navy have been positioned strategically for rescue and relief operations before and after the cyclone makes landfall.

According to a senior official of the state’s Disaster Management Department, 13 teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been deployed in the districts, while the Indian Air Force is moving three helicopters from the Yelahanka Air Base to Visakhapatnam.