Amaravati: Cyclone Arnab, a very severe cyclonic storm, made landfall near Yanam on the Andhra Pradesh coast at 3.30 am on October 28. The landfall point lies between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam. The storm brought sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts of up to 150 kmph.
Officials said no loss of life has been reported so far. They attributed this to advance warnings and evacuations. However, damage to property and infrastructure is significant.
Meanwhile, K. Nagaratna, head of the Andhra Pradesh Meteorological Department, said winds are currently blowing at 125 to 135 kmph. She added that the landfall process will continue for one to two hours. Over time, she said, wind speeds will drop to 90 to 120 kmph and later to 60 to 70 kmph.
Bangladesh proposed the name Arnab, which is pronounced “Ornab” and means sea or ocean in Bengali. The system formed from a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal. It then intensified rapidly before crossing the coast.
Heavy rain and storm surge hit coastal districts
Coastal districts from Srikakulam to Bapatla bore the main impact, especially Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari. Visakhapatnam recorded about 200 to 216 mm of rain by early Wednesday. Several other locations also crossed 200 mm, while some received 130 to 160 mm or more.
A storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above the astronomical tide struck the coast. It was highest near Kakinada and Yanam. As a result, seawater entered and flooded low-lying areas. The surge also damaged protective walls, beach roads, sheds and poultry farms.
Meanwhile, uprooted trees blocked roads and damaged vehicles across the region. Hundreds of electricity poles and several hoardings also fell, causing major power outages. Konaseema district alone reported nearly 6,000 uprooted electricity poles. The storm also damaged mobile towers and disrupted signals in some places.
Cyclone Arnab disrupts trains, flights and schools
The storm led to the cancellation of 50 trains and 21 flights at the Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports. However, some reports put the number of affected train services at 50 to more than 100. Several roads also remain waterlogged or blocked. Besides, schools are shut in multiple districts.
In Odisha, heavy to very heavy rain has hit southern districts such as Puri and Ganjam, disrupting normal life. Schools remain shut in 16 districts there, and 30,000 people have been shifted to safer places. Evacuations are also continuing in the state.
Further, the weather department has issued a rain alert for several states. These include Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Telangana. It also released a map showing 13 states affected by Cyclone Arnab. The list includes Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
Over 84,000 people moved to shelters in Andhra Pradesh
Authorities moved over 84,000 people to about 290 shelters in Andhra Pradesh alone. According to some reports, the total across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ranges from 1 lakh to 1.8 lakh. Earlier, the two states set up 4,000 cyclone shelters.
In addition, NDRF and SDRF teams, the Navy, the Coast Guard and power restoration crews are on the ground. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the preparations repeatedly and made zero loss of life a priority. The Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) said officials have tracked Cyclone Arnab for 24 hours. They are also monitoring its impact on coastal Andhra, including wind speed and rainfall.
Fishermen have been advised to stay ashore today and for the next two days. Thousands of boats have also returned to harbour. Rail, air and road traffic will remain affected. Power supply, water supply and communication services may also face disruption.
Restoration of power and roads is under way as the system weakens and moves inland. However, rain and residual winds continue.