Cyclone in India's east kills at least three people

Two women were electrocuted in separate incidents in the port city of Visakhapatnam, while another person was killed when a tree fell in East Godavari district, officials said. 

Houses, roads and power infrastructure in 14 coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh were badly damaged, the state's chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said, calling for urgent assistance from the central government.

The worst hit area was the fertile Konaseema district, with 79,000 acres of crops and dozens of homes battered.

Authorities began evacuating people from low-lying and flood-prone areas ahead of the cyclone's landfall. At least 180,000 people were evacuated in the state.

In Nepal, which continues to recover from devastating flash floods in August that killed more than 1400 people and left thousands more missing, authorities warned of heavy rain, lightning and thunderstorms.

Tourists have been urged to avoid high-altitude and Himalayan areas, and warned of possible road and air travel disruptions.

India Meteorological Department said Arnab weakened to a severe cyclonic storm as it moved inland.