Severe Storm Accelerates Toward Coast

Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab is tracking faster than initially anticipated across the west-central Bay of Bengal, prompting meteorological authorities to issue urgent warnings for an early-hours landfall. The system, which has been interacting with the land surface with its outer spiral bands already entering coastal regions, is slated to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts.

According to updated advisories from the Meteorological Department, the storm is expected to make landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, closely passing south of Yanam. Maximum sustained wind speeds are projected to reach 125 to 135 kmph, with violent gusts hitting up to 150 kmph. Moving west-northwestwards at a steady speed of 18 kmph, the core of the cyclone is projected to hit land between 2 am and 4 am.

Emergency Response and Power Infrastructure on High Alert

In anticipation of severe infrastructure damage and widespread power outages, the Andhra Pradesh government has swung into emergency mode. State Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar has placed all regional power utilities on maximum alert, deploying approximately 6,000 specialized personnel across vulnerable districts.

The massive mobilization is aimed at ensuring rapid restoration of essential electricity grids, minimizing risks to human life, and mitigating structural damage caused by the ferocious squalls and torrential downpours currently battering the eastern coastline.

Cross-Border Impact: Nepal Suspends High-Altitude Trekking

The ripple effects of Cyclone Arnab are being felt far beyond India's eastern coastline. Neighboring Nepal has taken precautionary measures as the system's expansive moisture bands threaten the Himalayan region with severe weather.

The Department of Immigration in Nepal has announced a complete suspension of trekking permits for restricted high-hill and Himalayan zones. Valid from October 29 through October 31, the restriction follows explicit warnings from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority.

Special post-monsoon bulletins issued by meteorological authorities in Kathmandu warned that the incoming moisture from the Bay of Bengal system would trigger heavy snowfall, severe snowstorms, and an elevated risk of avalanches across popular trekking routes.