Mumbai, Maharashtra and disaster management department has warned that intense heavy rains, which can hit several parts of this city and low-lying areas could be flooded. Factories along the northern coast of Maharashtra have been asked to take special precautions. Fishermen in Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and Gujarat, besides the Lakshadweep Islands have been warned not to put to sea.

Mumbai: India's financial capital Mumbai and many areas along the West Coast preparing for hurricane Phyan expected to intensify and cross the coast between northern and southern Maharashtra, Gujarat, late Wednesday afternoon.

India Meteorological Department has issued an "orange" alert, one step below red alert out of a really bad storm.

The storm had moved north across the Arabian Sea during the night and was about 250 km west-northwest of Goa, 350 km south-southwest of Mumbai and 620 km south-southwest of Surat at 05:30 pm EST, IMD said in its website.

"The system is likely to intensify even further to the northeast and moving north and south Gujarat and Maharashtra, north coast between Alibagh Valsad and in the late afternoon evening," IMD said in its cyclone warning MX 0950.