Cyclone Arnab makes landfall along Andhra coast as IMD monitors severe storm

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone 'Arnab' LIVE updates | Storm 140 km from Kakinada; highest danger signal hoisted at Kakinada port: The landfall process of the very severe cyclonic storm Arnab began along the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Wednesday, with the system crossing between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam close to south of Yanam. The India Meteorological Department said the storm hit with maximum sustained winds of 125 to 135 kilometres per hour, gusting up to 150 kilometres per hour, while moving westwards over the west central Bay of Bengal at a speed of 10 kilometres per hour.

Impact And Disruptions

Heavy rain pounded northern districts, leaving a trail of destruction and one casualty after a 65-year-old man died in Visakhapatnam from coming into contact with a snapped live wire in standing water. Air travel faced major disruptions with at least 21 flights cancelled across Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports on Tuesday, followed by 15 cancellations scheduled at Vijayawada for Wednesday. Rail services were also hit hard as railways cancelled dozens of trains across regions. In Visakhapatnam, the civic body reported 206 uprooted trees, with teams working to clear blocked roads.

Relief Measures

Authorities across multiple states ramped up precautions, with Andhra Pradesh arranging over 2,000 cyclone shelters and shifting thousands of people alongside 1,351 pregnant women to hospitals. In Yanam, around 2,000 people moved to relief camps as local administration and NDRF personnel persuaded reluctant residents. Odisha evacuated over 30,000 people to shelters and closed schools in 16 districts, while Jharkhand closed schools in Ranchi and several districts following weather alerts.

Context

Tropical cyclones frequently form in the Bay of Bengal during the post-monsoon transition period, bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall to India's eastern coastline. State disaster management agencies routinely coordinate large-scale evacuations, transport cancellations, and relief camp setups to minimize loss of life ahead of severe weather strikes.