India evacuates hundreds of thousands as cyclone Vayu builds fury

An India Meteorological Department scientist monitors Cyclone Vayu inside his office in Ahmedabad, India, June 11, 2019. REUTERS/Amit Dave

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India evacuated hundreds of thousands of people to shelters along the coast in its western state of Gujarat as a cyclone gathering intensity over the Arabian Sea was expected to hit land on Thursday.

Weather officials said Cyclone Vayu, with wind speeds equivalent to those of a Category 1 hurricane, is set to cross the coast with sustained wind speeds of 145 kph to 155 kph (90 mph to 96 mph), and could gust as high as 170 kph (106 mph).