Cyclone Arnab disrupts trains and hits Andhra coast with high winds

Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam with wind speeds reaching up to 150 kmph. ## Train Disruptions At least 22 express and passenger train services are cancelled or suspended from October 27 to November 5 due to the storm. Affected routes include the Visakhapatnam-Kirandul and Rourkela-Jagdalpur services, while the Hirakhand Express is running on a short route from Rayagada. The Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express also has new departure dates, and the Railway Department urges passengers to check the National Train Inquiry System or the Indian Railways website before travel.

Official Response

The storm has weakened after moving over land, according to National Disaster Response Force inspector general Narendra Singh Bundela. Four extra NDRF teams joined the deployment in Andhra Pradesh, working alongside the State Disaster Response Force and district teams. The India Meteorological Department noted that the system crossed the coast between 2 am and 8 am, bringing heavy rain, tree uprooting, and high sea waves that damaged the Uppada coastal road near Kakinada.

Context

Tropical storms frequently form in the Bay of Bengal during this season, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds to India's eastern coastline. State administrations and disaster response agencies routinely deploy specialized teams ahead of landfalls to handle evacuations and clear blocked routes.