Cyclone Arnab has made landfall on India ’s eastern coast, bringing destructive winds and heavy rains to Andhra Pradesh as authorities evacuated more than 180,000 people across two states.

The very severe cyclonic storm began crossing the coast earlier than expected on Wednesday, uprooting trees and disrupting electricity supplies. No deaths had been reported in Andhra Pradesh or neighbouring Odisha by Wednesday morning, according to Reuters.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm had remained “practically stationary” near the coast, with its centre still over the Bay of Bengal even as its outer bands moved inland.

The landfall process was expected to continue for about two hours, according to a bulletin issued at 6.30am local time.

The IMD forecast sustained winds of 115-125kmph, with gusts reaching 140kmph.…