Cyclone Arnab Crosses Andhra Coast, Weakens Into Severe Storm

UPDATE - follow-up to Very severe cyclone Arnab crosses Andhra coast, weakens into severe cyclonic storm: IMD | LIVE: Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on Wednesday morning before weakening from a very severe cyclonic storm into a severe cyclonic storm. The landfall process is now complete as the weather system moves entirely over land. The system crossed near latitude 16.450 N and 81.90 E, about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada, according to the India Meteorological Department.

Casualties And Impacts

While Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu initially stated that no loss of life had been reported, officials later confirmed multiple deaths due to rain and storm impacts. Chokka Kishore Kumar died in Bhimavaram after a tree fell on him, while Rambabu, a newspaper delivery man, suffered a critical head injury from a falling electric pole. In Anakapalli district, a 55-year-old woman died after stepping on an exposed live wire, and a 53-year-old man died in Visakhapatnam district after coming into contact with a snapped live wire. Waves surged onto the Visakhapatnam coast, and heavy rains hit eight districts in Telangana, prompting orange and yellow alerts. In Jharkhand, schools were ordered closed till October 29 in Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum and Simdega districts. Offshore, a Marshall Islands-flagged cargo ship named Sigma Pearl was stranded near the Ravva oil field after engine trouble.

Transport Disruptions

Transport networks faced heavy disruptions as 38 flights to and from Visakhapatnam were cancelled, including international flights to Bangkok and Abu Dhabi. IndiGo reported affected flights to Rajahmundry, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Railway operations were also hit after trees fell at 10 locations. The Narasapur-Tuticorin Special and Narasapur-Thiruvannamalai Express were cancelled, several other trains were rescheduled or diverted, and the Hubballi-Narasapur Express was held for about 90 minutes.

Relief Measures

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 slow down. The state turned 609 school campuses into relief shelters to house people moved from low-lying zones, supplying food and milk. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that fallen trees on railway tracks were cleared promptly. Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan urged Jana Sena Party workers to join government relief efforts, while the IMD expects the sea to calm down gradually now that the storm is over land.

Context

Cyclones hitting the eastern coast of India during this post-monsoon period regularly bring heavy rainfall, storm surges, and high-speed winds that disrupt power and transport infrastructure. State disaster management systems rely on pre-landfall evacuations into schools and community shelters to reduce casualties despite severe property and tree damage.