NEW DELHI, Oct 11 (Reuters) - A powerful cyclone intensifiedon Friday and was heading towards India's east coast,authorities said, forecasting a risk to life and extensivedamage to property when it makes landfall in 36 hours.
Satellite images showed the storm in the Bay of Bengal to beabout half the size of India.
Cyclone Phailin is expected to hit between Kalingapatnam inAndhra Pradesh state and Paradip in Odisha state on Saturdayevening as a very severe cyclonic storm with a maximum sustainedwind speed of 205-215 km per hour (127-134 miles per hour), theIndia Meteorological Department said in a bulletin at 2330 GMT.
London-based storm tracking service Tropical Storm Riskdescribed Phailin as a Category 4 storm, one notch below themost powerful Category 5 storms.
Authorities in the affected states had been stockingshelters with rations, as well as putting disaster responseteams on standby and cancelling government employees' holidaysas Phailin - some 800 km from the Indian coastline - movedcloser.
"The cyclone is expected to impact life and properties. Thedistricts likely to be affected by the impending cyclone havebeen asked to ensure all preparedness including evacuation ofpeople in vulnerable areas to the cyclone shelters for theirsafety," Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letterto the defence minister on Thursday, asking for the armed forcesto prepare to help with disaster relief.
India's largest gas field -- the Reliance Industries -operated D6 natural gas block -- lies in the CauveryBasin off the east coast.