Severe Cyclonic Storm Crosses Coastline

Cyclone Arnab made landfall near the Andhra Pradesh coast early Wednesday morning, completing its grueling passage over a span of more than six hours, according to updates from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Moving ashore as a "very severe" cyclonic storm—ranking as the third-highest category on the IMD scale—the system packed maximum sustained wind speeds of 125 to 135 kilometers per hour, with intense gusts touching 150 kmph.

By mid-morning, the system was centered directly over the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, situated roughly 20 kilometers east of Narsapur and 40 kilometers south-southwest of Yanam. Meteorological officials noted that while the core landfall process has concluded with the central region of the storm moving entirely onto land, the system subsequently weakened into a "severe" cyclonic storm.

Massive Evacuations and Public Safety Measures

Ahead of the cyclone's impact, proactive measures by state authorities in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha led to the evacuation of more than 1,80,000 residents from vulnerable coastal zones. Emergency response teams, state disaster management authorities, and local administrations worked in tandem to relocate populations to safer relief shelters.

Despite the scale of the storm, authorities confirmed that no loss of life has been reported so far in either state. However, the severe weather has taken a heavy toll on local infrastructure. Power supplies have suffered widespread disruptions due to uprooted trees and damaged lines, while several school closures and train cancellations were implemented to prevent transit hazards.

Commercial aviation has also taken a hit, with multiple carriers suspending scheduled flight operations to and from Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada airports for Wednesday.

Torrential Rainfall Across Districts

The storm system has unleashed relentless downpours across multiple districts in both states. In Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam bore the brunt of the weather, recording a staggering 315 mm of rainfall by Wednesday morning. Neighboring districts also reported severe precipitation, including Vizianagaram at 301 mm, Anakapalli at 275 mm, Srikakulam at 257 mm, and Krishna at 223 mm.

In neighboring Odisha, heavy downpours impacted districts such as Koraput, which registered 188 mm of rainfall, alongside Ganjam at 161 mm and Gajapati at 135 mm. Meteorological forecasters have warned that heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to persist across the region through Thursday.

Origins of the Name

Cyclone Arnab derives its name from a list maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Panel on tropical cyclones. The moniker, which translates to ocean or sea in Bengali, was formally proposed by Bangladesh as part of the regional naming convention adopted in 2020.