At least 1.1 million people on the east coast of India are fleeing to storm-proof places further inland, awaiting the arrival of Cyclone Dana.
Late on Thursday, Dana is expected to hit the coasts of the states of West Bengal and Odisha, where around 150 million people live, in the form of a "serious cyclone storm". The country's weather authority has issued a warning.
The eye of the storm is expected to reach land early on Friday local time, near the port city of Dhamara, about 23 miles southwest of the metropolis Calcutta (Kolkata).
Major airports are closing during the night, including in Calcutta.
