Tropical Cyclone Phailin is expected to make landfall somewhere near the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh states in India by 8 p.m. local time (about 11 ET).
At least 440,000 people have now been evacuated from areas at risk, the country's National Disaster Management Authority vice-chairman, Marri Shashidhar Reddy, told reporters at a televised news conference early Saturday afternoon.
The storm is moving steadily across the Bay of Bengal and is now about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from shore, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
It's expected to pack winds of up to 150 mph when it makes landfall and will bring a storm surge of as much as 6 or 7 meters (20-23 feet) in places, threatening densely populated areas that are vulnerable to flooding.
There are reports of seven deaths already in Odisha, as a result of falling trees brought down by strong winds, according to CNN's sister network in India, CNN-IBN.
Many of those evacuated from low-lying areas in Odisha left on foot or by bicycle, Mishra said. Evacuations will continue until Phailin roars ashore, he said.
They are being housed in nearly 250 emergency shelters set up in sturdy buildings like schools and government offices.
The cyclone is expected to hit between Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Paradip in Odisha, CNN-IBN said.
The Ganjam district of Odisha is expected to be the worst hit, with disaster preparedness efforts concentrated there, CNN-IBN reported.
In Gopalpur, a coastal resort town in Ganjam, restaurants were shuttered and streets deserted Saturday afternoon, as rain lashed down. Tourists as well as local resident have been asked to leave the town.
Power is out in coastal areas including Kalingapatnam, from where about 80,000 people have been evacuated to relief camps, CNN-IBN reported.