New Delhi: Indian authorities have evacuated nearly 100,000 people from the eastern coastal states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of a powerful cyclone expected to make landfall on Wednesday, while Nepal and Sri Lanka have issued weather warnings, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The India Meteorological Department forecast that Cyclone Arnab would make landfall on Wednesday morning, packing winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour.

Indian media reported that authorities had ordered around 50,000 people to evacuate their homes in Andhra Pradesh and another 48,000 in Odisha. Heavy rain lashed the coastal city of Kakinada on Tuesday, while high waves battered beaches.

In Sri Lanka, schools were closed ahead of expected heavy rainfall, amid warnings of flooding and landslides.

Nepal's disaster management authority also warned that the storm was likely to move inland towards the Himalayas overnight from Thursday to Friday, bringing heavy rain and the risk of heavy snowfall, blizzards and avalanches. It advised tourists to avoid high-altitude areas and urged those already there to remain in safe locations.