New Delhi: Three people have died in Andhra Pradesh due to Cyclone Arnab. Around 57,000 people have been housed in relief camps.
Cyclone Arnab completely crossed the coast today (Wednesday) between Narsapur and Yanam at around 8 a.m.
In a statement issued by the India Meteorological Department in this regard, “Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast today (Wednesday) between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m., about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam, and 60 km southwest of Kakinada.
When the cyclone crossed the coast, the wind speed was between 125 and 135 km per hour. At times, the wind speed increased to 150 km per hour,” it was reported.
Three people died in Andhra Pradesh due to the cyclone and heavy rain. In Bhimavaram in West Godavari district, a 46-year-old man named Kishore Kumar died when a tree fell on him. One person each died of electrocution in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.
As a precautionary measure, about 57,000 people have been moved to relief camps, the National Disaster Response Force said.
A few hours after Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast, the sea was rough along the Visakhapatnam coastline. The India Meteorological Department had warned that in low-lying areas along the stretch where the cyclone crosses the coast, seawater could surge inland by 1 to 1.5 meters.
Now that the cyclone has moved inland, the sea is expected to gradually return to normal.
Due to the storm, numerous electric poles and trees have fallen. Crops have also been extensively damaged. In this regard, in a letter written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said, ‘Due to Cyclone Arnab, around 70,900 hectares of paddy crops and 10,450 hectares of horticultural crops in Andhra Pradesh have been submerged in water and damaged.
Around 180 houses have been affected. Therefore, I request that a central team be sent to assess the damage caused in the state,’ he said.
Orange alert in Telangana: The impact of Cyclone Arnab has also been felt in Telangana. It has been raining there since morning. In four districts, 10 mm of rain has been recorded, and in another four districts, rainfall ranging from 2 mm to 10 mm has been recorded. After crossing the coast, this cyclone weakened from the category of a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm.
In a report issued by the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre, it has been stated that ‘an orange alert has been issued for the districts of Khammam, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Nalgonda, and Suryapet. There is a possibility of very heavy rainfall in these areas.’
30,000 people evacuated in Odisha: Due to Cyclone Arnab, more than 30,000 people have been moved to safe places from low-lying areas and landslide-prone locations in Odisha, Disaster Management Department Minister Suresh Pujari said.
In the past 24 hours, Mahendragarh in Odisha’s Gajapati district recorded the highest rainfall in the state at 250 mm. Potangi in Koraput district recorded 188 mm of rainfall.
School holiday in Jharkhand: Since the impact of Cyclone Arnab is expected to continue until tomorrow, schools have also been declared closed tomorrow in some parts of Jharkhand. The district administrations of Ranchi, West Singhbhum, East Singhbhum, and Simdega have announced school holidays for today and tomorrow.