The center of Tropical Cyclone Hudhud is getting very near the coast of India.  At 8:00 p.m. EDT the center was located at latitude 17.2°N and longitude 84.2°E which put it about 70 miles east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, India.  Hudhud was moving toward the north-northwest at 8 m.p.h.  It had maximum sustained winds to 125 m.p.h. and there were gusts to 155 m.p.h.

Hudhud is likely to bring strong winds and locally heavy rainfall to parts of eastern India as it moves inland during the next 24 hours.  The center will pass near the city of Visakhapatnam which has a population of over two million people.  Hudhud could also generate a significant storm surge  along the coast.

Tropical Cyclone Hudhud continues to move toward the eastern coast of India and it is not intensifying more rapidly.  At 2:00 p.m. EDT the center of Hudhud was located at latitude 15.9°N and longitude 86.5°E, which put it about 230 miles east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, India.  Hudhud was moving toward the northwest at 7 m.p.h.  The maximum sustained wind speed was 100 m.p.h. and there were gusts to 120 m.p.h.

A high pressure system located northeast of Hudhud is likely to continue to steer it toward the west-northwest or northwest until it reaches India.  Wind shear over Hudhud has decreased and the tropical cyclone is intensifying and it could intensify steadily until it makes landfall.  Hudhud will approach the coast of India near Visakhapatnam in about 36 hours and it will be a strong tropical cyclone when it gets there.  In addition to strong winds and heavy rain, Hudhud could also produce a significant storm surge along the coast.