The cyclones will hit the two states of Odisha and West Bengal with wind speeds of up to almost 50 meters per second, and thousands of rescue crews have been sent to the coast to be on standby.
Fishing boats have been asked to seek shelter and tens of thousands of residents have sought refuge created by the authorities.
Cyclones hit India every year, and earlier this month 140 people died when cyclone Tauktae ravaged the west coast of the country.
In May last year, nearly 100 people died in cyclone Amphan on the east coast. It was the strongest that had hit the area in over ten years, and it razed entire villages to the ground, destroyed large agricultural areas and left millions of people without electricity.
– We have not been able to repair the damage from the previous cyclone. Now there will be another cyclone, how will we be able to stay here, says Samitri, a resident of West Bengal.
India is already in the middle of a corona pandemic that has claimed over 300,000 lives, and the spread of infection is large.
On Monday, the Prime Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, urged residents seeking refuge to wear a double face mask and keep a social distance.
– We must meet both of these challenges at the same time, he said.
— .
