New Bay weather system forms as floodwaters strand hundreds in Odisha and Andhra

UPDATE - follow-up to Cyclone Arnab LIVE: New Bay system likely to head for Andhra coast; 300 villages marooned in Ganjam: A fresh low-pressure area over the south Andaman Sea is projected to intensify into a depression by October 31 and head towards the Andhra Pradesh coast. Meanwhile, Cyclone Arnab has weakened into a depression over central Chhattisgarh, leaving seven dead in Andhra Pradesh from falling trees, electrocution and wall collapses after landfall between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Flood Impact and Rescue

Severe flooding has cut off about 2,000 residents across Ganjam and Gajapati districts in Odisha, where around 550 mm of rain pushed the Baghalati dam on the Bahuda past its danger mark. Odisha Chief Secretary Anu Garg stated that rescue teams plan to airlift villagers from Sanakhemundi, Asika and Gopalpur, though bad weather has slowed flight operations. In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu completed an aerial survey of flooded crop fields in Krishna, West Godavari and Konaseema districts, and wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah requesting a central damage assessment team. The Indian Coast Guard also airlifted 13 crew members from the stranded bulk carrier Sigma Pearl off Antarvedi.

Transport and Regional Spread

The swollen Bahuda river submerged a railway bridge near Ichchapuram, forcing the East Coast Railway to cancel nine trains and divert 14 on the Howrah-Chennai route, including the Vande Bharat Express. Srikakulam district recorded the heaviest rain in the State in the 24 hours to Thursday morning, with Kanchili mandal receiving 248.5 mm. Operations at three Andhra Pradesh airports were suspended, while flight services remained mostly normal in Bhubaneswar. The remnants of the storm also brought heavy rain to West Bengal, Jharkhand, and nine districts in eastern Madhya Pradesh, where IMD meteorologist V.S. Yadav reported potential winds of 40 to 50 kmph before the system moves toward Bihar.

Context

Tropical storms crossing the eastern coastline of India during this period frequently trigger heavy rainfall across multiple states as the systems move inland. Weather agencies maintain constant radar surveillance to track such depressions and issue timely warnings to vulnerable coastal and interior districts.