The cyclone, named Fanoos, was centred around the state's Nagapattinam district which was devastated by last December's tsunami, weather officials said.

"We have taken adequate measures and evacuated people from the coastal areas. After the tsunami, we're now fully geared up to deal with natural disasters," Nagapattinam district collector J. Radhakrishnan told AFP.

Weather officials said gale-force winds would likely accompany the storm.

"The cyclone is expected to cross land later today (Saturday)," a weather official said. "The storm has gained speed."

The Tamil Nadu government has readied some 150 shelters in case the cyclone damages coastal areas and has told fishermen not to go out to sea.

Medical teams were on standby and rice and other food staples stockpiled.

The cyclone swept harmlessly past the Indian Ocean archipelago of the Andamans on Friday.

Last week 21 people died and 175,000 people were forced from their homes after days of heavy rains sparked floods in four Tamil Nadu districts including the state capital Chennai.

Tamil Nadu was bracing for a cyclone from the Bay of Bengal last week but the storm abated and a low-pressure area formed instead, resulting in torrents of rain in the state.

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