Photos: Cyclone Yaas batters eastern India, 2 million seek shelter

Residents move to a safer place ahead of Cyclone Yaas at Digha in Purba Medinipur district in the eastern state of West Bengal. India shifted more than 2 million people to safer places as a powerful cyclone hit the east coast at a time when the nation is battling the world's worst outbreak of COVID-19.

The eastern state of West Bengal has evacuated about 1.5 million people from low-lying areas, according to Mamata Banerjee, the state's chief minister. Neighboring Odisha has moved more than 500,000 people to various relief centers. Local authorities have asked people to maintain social distancing at cyclone shelters to check the spread of the coronavirus.

Pedestrians wade through a flooded road during landfall of cyclone 'Yaas', in Kolkata.

Cyclone Yaas was packing gusts of up to 140 kph (87 mph) as it hit land, authorities said, days after Tauktae tore up the western coast, triggering mass evacuations and piling pressure on authorities battling a deadly second wave of the coronavirus. Above, landfall of storm cyclone Yaas in Digha sea beach in West Bengal, distance from Kolkata 200 km.

Authorities said more than a million people had been moved out of the storm's path, while television broadcast images of rough seas, strong winds and rains lashing the state of Odisha, with shops and homes boarded up.

A flooded house after heavy rains owing to Cyclone Yaas, in Kanyakumari district.

Sea water inundates agricultural fields during cyclone Yaas landfall in Chandipur area of Balasore.

Indian Army eastern command deploys a total of seventeen integrated Cyclone Rescue and Relief Columns, comprising specialised personnel with associated equipment and inflatable boats.

Villagers try to save their boat at Fraserganj, ahead of landfall of cyclone 'Yaas', in South 24 Parganas disatrict.

A Hindu priest removes an idol of Lord Jagannath from a seafront temple to a safer place while strong winds batter Balasore district in Odisha state.

A member of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) uses a megaphone to appeal to residents to move to safer place ahead of Cyclone Yaas at Digha in Purba Medinipur district in the eastern state of West Bengal.

Dark clouds loom over trains at a railway yard ahead of cyclone Yaas, in Dhanbad.

A road damages after water overflows due to heavy rain at Nedungulampond in Kanyakumari.

The Eastern Air Command has set up a Task Force and has coordinated its rescue and relief operations with the state government. "All rescue and relief operations are being co-ordinated with state government and a task force has been set up to monitor and synergise the efforts, in addition to co-ordinating with all agencies," it said.

Policemen ask people to move to cyclone shelters as they patrol a beach in Balasore district in Odisha.

NDRF team carries out a rescue operation at South 24 Paraganas.