Cyclone Arnab Weakens After Landfall in Andhra Pradesh as Relief Operations Begin

UPDATE - follow-up to Very severe cyclone Arnab crosses Andhra coast, weakens into severe cyclonic storm: IMD | LIVE:

The Landfall and Impact

Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on Wednesday morning before weakening into a severe cyclonic storm. According to the India Meteorological Department, the landfall process is complete with the system moving entirely over land. The storm crossed to the southwest of Yanam, about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam, and 60 km southwest of Kakinada. The Indian Express reported that the system made landfall around 3 a.m. in West Godavari district with gale-force winds reaching up to 135 kmph in Kakinada, Konaseema, and East Godavari districts. Polavaram, West Godavari, Eluru, NTR, and Krishna districts also bore the brunt of heavy rain. A Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier named Sigma Pearl was stranded near the Ravva oil field off the Konaseema-Kakinada coast after leaving Visakhapatnam port, with engine failure believed to have caused it to drift.

Relief and Transport Disruptions

Over 84,000 people have been evacuated to shelters across Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference with about 32,000 officials and field staff, directing them to clear fallen trees within two hours and restore power once winds ease. The state turned 609 school campuses into relief shelters, closed schools in 16 coastal districts, and mobilized 17,054 volunteers from the NCC, NSS, and Scouts. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan urged party workers to join relief efforts. Meanwhile, the transport sector faced massive disruptions. Thirty-eight flights to and from Visakhapatnam were cancelled, including international routes to Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, while IndiGo warned of affected flights in Rajahmundry and Vijayawada. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that trees fell at 10 locations on the railway network, leading to cancellations and diversions of several special and express trains.

Spread to Neighbouring States

Heavy rains also impacted neighbouring regions. The Jharkhand government ordered the closure of schools until October 29 for classes KG to 12 in districts including Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Simdega. In Telangana, parts of the state received rain on Wednesday morning, prompting the IMD-Hyderabad Centre to place Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Nalgonda, and Suryapet under an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Context

Coastal cyclones in the Bay of Bengal frequently bring heavy downpours, strong winds, and storm surges during the post-monsoon season, requiring large-scale evacuations and emergency preparedness from state disaster response agencies.