Cyclone Arnab heads for Andhra coast as heavy rains lash southern states

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclonic storm 'Arnab' to cross Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast as very severe storm by October 28: IMD | LIVE: Cyclone Arnab is moving west-northwestward over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28.

Storm Movement And Warnings

The storm is forecast to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and then a very severe storm, bringing maximum sustained winds of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to maintain round-the-clock vigilance. Over 4,800 fishing boats have returned safely to Kakinada shores, and the APEPDCL has opened multiple control rooms to manage potential power disruptions.

Regional Impact

Meanwhile, the northeast monsoon continues to bring heavy rainfall to Tamil Nadu, triggering a red alert in Kodaikanal where over 20 houses were flooded in the Moonjikkal-Dobikana area. Odisha has also banned fishing and tourist entries in six districts, while districts across Andhra Pradesh face orange and red alerts for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall.

Context

Cyclones forming in the Bay of Bengal during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons frequently threaten the eastern coastline of India, prompting extensive evacuations and precautionary deployments by state disaster management authorities.