The Centre has sounded an orange alert for the Andaman and Nicobar islands facing a cyclonic storm Pabuk, officials said on Sunday.

The cyclonic storm approaching the archipelago is hovering over the Andaman Sea and the neighbourhood, they added.

An orange weather warning means people should 'be prepared' and there is an increased likelihood of bad or extreme weather, which may disrupt road and air travel and threaten life and property.

Pabuk, that has moved north-northwestwards at a speed of 20 kmph in the last six hours, is about 310 km east-southeast of Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar. The cyclonic storm is likely to continue to move north-northwestwards and cross the islands by Sunday night with a wind speed of 65-75 kmph, gusting to 85 kmph, an official said.

Thereafter, it is very likely to move north-northwestwards and then recurve north-eastwards towards Myanmar and weaken gradually thereafter, he added.