Cyclone Arnab closing in on Andhra Coast as IMD warns of 150 kmph gusts and mass evacuations

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone 'Arnab' LIVE updates | Landfall expected on Andhra coast near Yanam; Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand brace for rain: Severe cyclonic storm Arnab was located 220 kilometres from Visakhapatnam and 240 kilometres from Kakinada on Tuesday morning, moving at a speed of 20 kmph. The India Meteorological Department expects it to cross the coast near Yanam between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by Wednesday forenoon, upgrading its wind speed prediction to 125-135 kmph with fierce gusts reaching 150 kmph.

Evacuations and Transport

Authorities are shifting nearly 89,000 residents from the Kakinada coast into 101 relief camps, while Odisha prepares to move 48,000 people. Schools are closed and fishing is banned across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Rail networks are heavily disrupted with at least 61 train services cancelled, mainly across the Godavari-Krishna delta, alongside four flight cancellations and four diversions at Visakhapatnam airport.

Regional Impact

High sea waves have already flooded shore areas in Uppada, Konapapet, and Moolapet, disrupting local traffic and threatening coastal homes. Heavy downpours hit north coastal Andhra, with Tulasi Nagar Park in Visakhapatnam recording 37 mm of rain by noon. Chhattisgarh has also placed southern district collectors on high alert for torrential rain and strong winds over the next two days.

Context

Tropical cyclones form in warm ocean waters and routinely gather extreme destructive power before striking coastal regions, bringing storm surges, heavy rainfall, and hurricane-force winds that threaten life and property. Disaster management authorities typically rely on pre-emptive evacuations, transport suspensions, and relief camps to reduce casualties in the path of severe weather systems.