Officials urge people to evacuate their homes in preparation for Cyclone Bulbul PC AFP
Authorities in India and Bangladesh have ordered the evacuation of nearly half a million people as Cyclone Bulbul makes its way over the Bay of Bengal.
The storm has begun making landfall near Sagar Island in Indian West Bengal, and is expected to unleash surges as high as 7ft (two metres).
Two people have already been killed by the cyclone, local media report.
Along with evacuations, there have also been a number of sea ports and airports closed in the region.
Forecasters expect the storm to move north, weakening gradually.
It is set to reach wind speeds of up to 120km/h (75mph), with gusts of 150km/h, and create tidal surges in the sea and rivers when it hits the coastal regions, says the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
Along its predicted path is the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest and home to the endangered Bengal tigers.
More than 60,000 people were moved away from the north-eastern coast of India, while the Bangladeshi government said it had evacuated 400,000.
