Cyclone Arnab speeds up, expected to hit Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday

Cyclone Arnab is moving rapidly toward the Andhra Pradesh coast and will make landfall between 2am and 4am on Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department. The IMD advanced its earlier forecast by several hours due to the storm's fast movement.

Storm Details

As of 5:30pm on Tuesday, the very severe cyclone was located about 90 kilometres southeast of Kakinada and 170 kilometres east-northeast of Machilipatnam. It is expected to cross the north Andhra Pradesh coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam as a severe cyclone. Maximum wind speeds are predicted to reach 115 to 125 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 140 kmph. Squally weather, rough seas, and a storm surge raising wave heights one to two metres above normal tide levels will affect coastal Andhra Pradesh, causing floods in low-lying areas with peak surges near Kakinada and Yanam.

State Preparations

Coastal regions of Odisha have already seen heavy rainfall. The Met department issued an orange alert for four Andhra districts including Anakapalli, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, and Vizianagaram, along with 16 districts in Odisha. Odisha relocated over 48,000 people from vulnerable areas to shelters across eight districts. The state set up 135 cyclone shelters and 1,600 temporary camps, deploying 244 fire service teams, 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, and nine NDRF teams. Several Odisha districts are under red warning with winds reaching 60 to 90 kmph. Malkangiri will receive the maximum rain and wind speed. Odisha special relief commissioner Rajesh Patil urged people not to panic. Officials shifted nearly 3,000 pregnant women close to their delivery dates to hospitals. Teams with equipment stand ready to clear debris from potential landslides, with Gajapati identified as a major vulnerable point.

Andhra Pradesh Measures

In Andhra Pradesh, 16 districts across 2,460 revenue villages and 92 urban areas face impact. Authorities set up 1,763 cyclone shelters and 2,907 control rooms. Beaches are closed, all fishermen have returned, and 30,043 fishing boats are secured at harbours.

Context

Tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal frequently intensify during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, bringing destructive winds and heavy rains to India's eastern coastline. Administrative preparedness involving early evacuations, prepositioned disaster response forces, and medical relocations is critical to minimizing loss of life during severe weather events.