Hyderabad/Bhubaneswar, Oct. 28 -- Cyclone Arnab intensified over west-central Bay of Bengal and picked up speed late on Tuesday, barrelling towards the coast of Andhra Pradesh, even as nearly 150,000 people were moved to shelters and rescue teams were deployed as part of efforts to mitigate the destruction caused by the weather system. The very severe cyclonic storm was forecast "to cross Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam between 2am and 4 am on Wednesday", a weather department update said on Tuesday evening. The department had earlier forecast the cyclone to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday forenoon. Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were placed on alert for heavy rain and strong winds. According to statements by state governments, Andhra Pradesh moved 90,000 people till Tuesday evening and Odisha about 48,000. Further evacuation in vulnerable areas is expected during the night and Wednesday morning, officials said. "Our idea is only one; not even losing a single life. Saving all lives is our priority. There is no need for people to panic but they have to take precautions," Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu said. In Andhra Pradesh, the cyclone impact began early Tuesday, with gusty winds reported from coastal districts. Heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds was expected to intensify in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. State disaster management authority managing director Prakhar Jain said the cyclone moved at a speed of 25 kmph for six hours. The cyclone was expected to continue west-northwestward before turning northwestward, with winds along the coast reaching speeds of 90-100 kmph. The wind speeds during landfall may increase to 115-125 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 140 kmph. Widespread rainfall was forecast across Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday. Extremely heavy rainfall was likely in some districts, according to the weather department. The combination of heavy rain and strong winds was likely to damage trees, electricity infrastructure, temporary structures and buildings in vulnerable areas. Jain appealed to people to remain alert, avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors in safe locations. He warned people against standing near trees, large hoardings and dilapidated buildings, which could collapse or be uprooted in strong winds. On Wednesday, extremely heavy rainfall is forecast in Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Polavaram, Kakinada, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR and Krishna districts. Authorities cautioned that rainfall intensity and the geographical spread of the impact will depend on the cyclone's movement and the conditions prevailing during landfall. Eight state and seven nations teams and seven national disaster response force teams have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh. An additional three SDRF teams and five NDRF teams are available for deployment, if required....