Live updates:
* Tourists leave in droves from Gopalpur and Puri - two destinations which have been marked by the Met department as areas that will be badly affected by the cyclone.
* Electricity disconnected in Gopalpur plunging the whole town into darkness
* Political parties ready themselves to carry out cyclone relief work. BJD volunteers to help prepare and distribute relief packets, including medical help, to various cyclone shelters in Bihar.
* Residents of low-lying areas move to safer grounds in view of the cyclone alert
* Phailin likely to be a Category 5 cyclone with wind speed of 280 km as it approaches coast and then reduce to Category 4 with wind speed of 200 km
* More than 1,600 NDRF personnel have been dispatched to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh as part of preparations to handle the possible fallout of the "very severe" cyclone Phailin that is set to make landfall on Saturday. Cyclone expected to make landfall at AP coast between 2.30 pm - 6 pm
* Wave height to touch 3-5 metres after cyclone makes landfall
* Sufficient number of boats set aside to carry out rescue operations. Boats will be the only mode of transport available after the cyclone hits
* Helicopters to be used to supply food, water and medicines in affected areas
* Generators already sent to shelter camps in view of the power outage that is expected once the cyclone strikes
* Rehab and rescue will begin from tomorrow afternoon, says Kiran Kumar Reddy
* Kiran Kumar Reddy has appointed 9 IAS officers to look into relief and rehab operations as far as AP is concerned. Help sought from Army, Navy and Air Force.
* Evacuation complete, says state governments
* IAF helicopters can be employed only after the cyclone recedes. This is another concern when considering the relief operations.
Power and communication to be a major concern once the cyclone strikes
* Heavy rainfall expected in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa tonight
* Top weather experts in US say this is a cyclone of extreme intensity and that India probably does not know what is on the way. However, disaster teams in India say they are fully prepared.
* National Disaster Management Centre admits cyclone is very severe but the teams are fully prepared for any eventuality. All teams have taken vantage positions.
* IMD predicts Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Srirakulam, Ganjam to be the worst affected
* NDMA estimates around 1.2 crore people to be affected by the cyclone
* Windspeed 200-220kmph, wave height likely to be 3 metre: Met dept
* Cyclone Phailin closes in, 65,000 evacuated from coastal areas
* Wind speed crosses 200 km/hr, likely to touch 220 km/h
* Landfall likely tomorrow evening
* Army, Navy and Air Force put on stand-by
* Five districts of Odisha and AP likely to bear the brunt
* Govt machinery on full alert (DC-11TH Oct 2013)http://www.deccanchronicle.com/131011/news-current-affairs/article/phailin-not-less-super-cyclone-odisha-government