Cyclone Arnab Batters Andhra Pradesh And Odisha With Heavy Rains As Landfall Nears

Cyclone Impact

Very heavy rainfall battered northern districts of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday after cyclonic storm 'Arnab' intensified into a very severe system. Visakhapatnam recorded the day's highest rainfall of 141.75 mm at Jathara premises, with strong winds uprooting at least 200 trees inside the city. A 65-year-old man died in Mangalapalem after touching live electrical wires that had fallen into water. Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, and Srikakulam also recorded widespread rainfall above 80 mm.

Evacuation And Relief

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stated that 290 cyclone shelters were set up and 84,396 people evacuated in Andhra Pradesh, alongside more than 30,000 fishing boats brought back from the sea. Across the border, the Odisha government relocated over 48,000 people from vulnerable areas across eight districts, setting up 135 cyclone shelters and 1,600 temporary shelters. Odisha special relief commissioner Rajesh Patil noted that Rs 19 crore was sanctioned from the state disaster response fund for preparedness. State and national disaster response teams, the Navy, and the Coast Guard remain deployed across both states, while 21 flights were cancelled in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.

Landfall Warning

The India Meteorological Department reported that the storm is moving faster than expected over the west-central Bay of Bengal. Landfall is now expected between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Wednesday near the Yanam-Kakinada region, bringing maximum wind speeds of up to 150 kmph. IMD Amaravati Director K. Nagaratnam noted that heavy rainfall activity will shift to Kakinada, East and West Godavari, and Konaseema districts by Tuesday night. People can call toll-free helplines 1070, 112, or 18004250101 in case of emergencies.

Context

Severe cyclonic storms form over warm ocean waters like the Bay of Bengal, bringing destructive winds, intense rainfall, and storm surges when they cross the coast. Timely evacuation and deployment of disaster response forces are standard measures used by authorities to minimise loss of human life during such extreme weather events.