Cyclone Arnab’s landfall process started along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday around 1:10am, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to several areas, the Indian Meteorological Department said.
Odisha had intensified its preparations, with heavy rain already reported in parts of the state. The cancellations affected services to Chennai, Bengaluru, Visakhapatnam and Kadapa. IMD director general Mrunjay Mohapatra had warned of potentially damaging winds along the coast. Entry to sea beaches had been prohibited.
In its bulletin issued at 1.10am on October 28, the IMD said Arnab’ was moving westwards over the west central Bay of Bengal, close to the Andhra Pradesh coast and Yanam, at a speed of 10 kmph. IMD estimated the storm’s intensity at 125-135 kmph, with gusts reaching 150 kmph. Air travel was also affected, with at least 21 flights cancelled at Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam airports on Tuesday. An official said 15 flights scheduled to operate from Vijayawada airport on Wednesday had also been cancelled. The Andhra Pradesh government had arranged 2,131 cyclone shelters across 20 districts and placed 1,087 medical teams on standby in areas likely to be affected. Officials said 8,281 emergency beds and 1,274 ambulances had also been made available. Authorities had moved people out of vulnerable areas and shifted 1,351 pregnant women to hospitals. The government had stocked two months’ worth of essential commodities at 14,686 ration shops, while cyclone alerts had been sent to the mobile phones of 2.70 crore people. The South Coast Railway had cancelled 24 trains scheduled for Wednesday, while the East Coast Railway had cancelled 22. Schools had been closed in 16 of its 30 districts, while more than 30,000 people had been moved to cyclone shelters against a target of 48,000, a revenue department official said. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Rajesh P Patil said 135 permanent cyclone shelters and around 1,600 temporary shelters had been prepared to accommodate people from vulnerable areas. In neighbouring Jharkhand, the Ranchi district administration had ordered schools to remain closed on October 28 and 29 as authorities prepared for adverse weather. A yellow alert for heavy rain had been issued for Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla, Lohardaga, Saraikela-Kharsawan, East Singhbhum and West Singhbhum for 24 hours from 8.30 am on October 28. (With inputs from agencies)
The South Eastern Railway had also cancelled four trains, officials said.
Winds are likely to gradually weaken after landfall. Track live updates on Cyclone Arnab Authorities remain on high alert as rescue and relief teams continue to monitor the situation and take precautionary measures to minimise the impact of the severe cyclonic storm. The storm is expected to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam , south of Yanam, between 2 am and 4 am. Andhra Pradesh and Odisha had stepped up preparations on Tuesday ahead of the expected landfall of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab, with thousands of people moved to safety, nearly 4,000 cyclone shelters readied and at least 50 trains cancelled across the region.
