DHAKA: Cyclone Hudhuh has hit the coast of Andhra Pradesh at Kailasagiri in the port city of Visakhapatnam. Winds are gusting at nearly 200 kms per hour, reports NDTV.

Here are the latest developments:

The worst phase of the cyclone has begun, says the navy, which has a huge base in Visakhapatnam or Vizag, as it's known. 

It's raining heavily in and around Vizag, power lines have snapped, trees have been uprooted, and some roads are blocked now.

Navy officials warn that there will be a lull in the storm at around 11.30 am, but the storm will again intensify after that for a few hours.

 At least 400,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states as authorities aimed for zero casualties

Arvind Kumar, a state government official in Andhra Pradesh, warned, "Six hours after landfall will be very crucial, though the wind speeds will come down to about 100 kilometres (per hour) by then."

The navy has 30 diving and 20 rescue teams  on standby.

 Streets in Vizag that had been bustling on Saturday were deserted today as shrill, roaring winds lashed the city, smashing windows and damaging buildings. With power out, many people had to resort to back-up generators.

The evacuation effort was comparable in scale to the one that preceded Cyclone Phailin exactly a year ago, and which was credited with minimising fatalities to 53

Four districts in Andhra Pradesh state that are home to more than 14 million people - Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari - are likely to be worst hit, including about 350 coastal villages.

The Indian Ocean is a cyclone hot spot. Of the 35 deadliest storms in recorded history, 27 have come through the Bay of Bengal - and have landed in either India or Bangladesh.

** ‘Hudhud’ 840kms from Mongla port 
** Cyclone ‘Hudhud’ 870 kms from Mongla  

BDST: 1210 HRS, OCT 12, 2014