Cyclone Arnab makes landfall on Andhra Pradesh coast

Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast of Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Wednesday. The storm touched down in the eastern state after a day of intense preparation and mass evacuations. Officials confirmed the landfall was complete by late Wednesday morning.

Prakhar Jain, head of the state’s disaster management authority, reported that the cyclone weakened slightly before it hit the ground. Despite the drop in intensity, the system delivered heavy to very heavy rainfall to several coastal districts. This weather caused widespread disruption in the affected regions.

The India Meteorological Department issued an update downgrading the system to a severe cyclonic storm. Wind speeds reached 135 kph, which is 84 mph, late Wednesday morning. The IMD stated that the storm is expected to weaken further as it moves inland. Winds are likely to ease later in the day.

Authorities began evacuating people late Tuesday as the storm intensified over the Bay of Bengal. The system moved toward an earlier than expected landfall, prompting officials to place all coastal districts on high alert. Train services were canceled as heavy rain and gusty winds lashed the coast.

State officials announced that at least 89,000 people have been evacuated so far. More than 12 million people live along the cyclone’s expected path. Authorities set up over 2,000 cyclone shelters across 20 districts to house those displaced by the storm.

Jain said emergency alerts were sent to the mobile phones of millions of residents. More than 30,000 fishing boats were secured along the coast. Nearly 1,100 medical teams were deployed across affected areas to provide emergency assistance.

In neighboring Odisha, officials planned to evacuate about 48,000 people from areas likely to be hit by the storm. The IMD warned that heavy rainfall and strong winds would continue under the cyclone's influence in coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of southern Odisha. There were no immediate reports of casualties, though some damage was observed.