Andhra Pradesh and Odisha brace for severe landfall as cyclone Arnab approaches

UPDATE - follow-up to A.P., Odisha on alert as cyclone 'Arnab' nears land | LIVE: Severe cyclonic storm Arnab is moving towards the eastern coast, prompting red alerts for seven of the twenty-eight districts in Andhra Pradesh as officials evacuate residents from flood-prone areas. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu ordered round-the-clock vigilance to avoid loss of life, directing the shift of 4,711 pregnant women to safer medical facilities alongside the return of 30,043 fishing boats to harbours.

Relief Measures And Movement

The Andhra Pradesh government released twenty-seven crore rupees to twenty districts for relief operations and deployed fifteen National Disaster Response Force teams to vulnerable spots. Meanwhile, the Odisha government closed schools in six southern districts and started moving people out of danger zones. The India Meteorological Department stated the storm moved at thirteen kilometres per hour and will intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm.

Forecast And Impact

The cyclone is expected to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by the forenoon of October 28 with maximum sustained winds of 115 to 125 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 140 kilometres per hour. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is predicted for Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on October 27 and 28, Odisha on October 28, Chhattisgarh on October 28 and 29, and east Uttar Pradesh on October 29. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority issued emergency helpline numbers 112, 1070, and 1800 425 0101.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon season, bringing destructive winds and heavy rains to India's eastern coastline. State disaster management agencies work closely with national response forces during such events to evacuate coastal populations and minimise infrastructure damage.