The "Arnab" cyclone, which formed in the Bay of Bengal, crossed the coast in Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Wednesday.
Seven people were killed in accidents caused by this cyclone. Severe damage has been reported in the northern coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. Rescue and relief operations have been intensified.
The "Arnab" cyclone, which strengthened into a very severe cyclone in the Bay of Bengal last Tuesday, moved rapidly toward the Andhra coast. It made landfall near Yanam (an area under the administration of Puducherry) between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Wednesday. By 8:30 a.m., it had completely crossed the coast and began to weaken.
As the storm crossed the coast, gale-force winds blew at an average speed of 125 km/h to 135 km/h. For a few seconds, the wind speed increased to 150 km/h. Due to the impact of the storm, thousands of trees and electric poles fell in various areas. District Superintendent of Police Bindu Madhav said that more than 100 electric poles collapsed in Kakinada, and that the road in the Uppada area was completely washed away by rain and flooding.
Work to cut and remove fallen trees and restore traffic on the roads has been intensified. Measures are being taken on a war footing to restore power supply and essential services.
Rainfall above 200 mm: Due to the impact of the storm, very heavy rain accompanied by gale-force winds lashed districts including Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema, and West Godavari. In some places, rainfall of over 200 mm was recorded. The highest rainfall was recorded at 261.5 mm in the Kannuripalem area of Anakapalli.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu held a video conference on Wednesday morning with district collectors, senior officials, and rescue teams regarding the impact of the cyclone. After inquiring about the ground situation, he ordered that rescue and relief operations be intensified. He also instructed that adequate food, drinking water, and medical facilities be ensured in relief camps, and that appropriate measures be taken to prevent breaches in tanks and canal banks.
7 dead, including 2 women: In the Bhimavaram area of West Godavari district, a 46-year-old man died early Wednesday morning after a tree fell on him. In Visakhapatnam district, a 53-year-old man died after being electrocuted when a live wire snapped and fell, and in the same district, a woman died when an electric pole collapsed. In Anakapalli district, a woman died after being electrocuted, and in Konaseema district, one person died when a wall collapsed. In two more incidents, two people died.
4 people who were trapped after seawater entered the village in the Bombay Katta area of Kakinada were safely rescued. Due to the impact of Cyclone Arnab, more than 50 trains were canceled in the eastern coastal region.
Letter to the Central Government: Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said, "Thank you for the assistance being provided by the Central Government in dealing with the cyclone damage. The support of central agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, continues to be essential. Once the state government submits a detailed report on the extent of the damage, consideration should be given to sending a central team at the earliest. According to the initial assessment, crops including paddy have been damaged over an area of 70,900 hectares, and horticultural crops over 10,450 hectares."
Warning for 13 districts: Due to the impact of Cyclone Arnab, the weather department has warned that 13 districts in Andhra, including Bapatla, Guntur, NTR, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, Kakinada, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, and Yanam, may experience flash floods until Thursday, and that rain will continue for a week.
Heavy rain in Odisha
The Arnab cyclone, which crossed the coast in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, gradually weakened and moved toward Odisha. Due to the cyclone’s impact, heavy rain accompanied by strong winds has been lashing the southern districts of Odisha. The concerned departments have been alerted, and precautionary measures have been stepped up.
More than 30,000 people living in low-lying areas in districts including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri, and Nabarangpur were moved to safe places. Schools were declared closed in 16 districts.
In the past 24 hours, the highest rainfall of 249.9 mm was recorded in the Mahendragarh area of Gajapati district. More than 300 rescue teams, including National and State Disaster Response Forces, have been deployed for duty.
School holiday in Jharkhand: Due to Cyclone Arnab, heavy rain has been lashing districts including Ranchi, West Singhbhum, and East Singhbhum in Jharkhand since Tuesday night. Schools across the state have been declared closed until Saturday (Oct. 29).
In West Bengal..: The weather department has warned that there is a possibility of heavy rain until Friday in the districts of Kolkata, Purba Medinipur, South 24 Parganas, Jhargram, Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, and Purulia in West Bengal. Following this, precautionary measures have been intensified in these districts.
Due to the bad weather, several flight services were canceled on Wednesday at Kolkata International Airport.
