Cyclone Arnab Landfall Update: 5 Reportedly Lose Lives in Andhra Pradesh as Severe Weather Hits Coast

Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast, bringing heavy rain and destructive winds. Reports say five people died in separate incidents, while damage and disruptions were reported across affected districts.

At least five people lost their lives in Andhra Pradesh after Cyclone Arnab made landfall. Reports of casualties came in from Vizag, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Konaseema, and West Godavari districts. Electrocution and uprooted trees caused most of these deaths. The powerful cyclone hit the Andhra coast early Wednesday morning. The landfall process took over six hours to complete. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed the storm crossed the coast as a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. The weather office released a bulletin at 9:50 AM on Wednesday. The cyclone was sitting right over the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts at that time. It weakened slightly into a 'severe cyclonic storm' by 8:30 AM.

Heavy rain lashes Andhra and Odisha coasts

The weather department shared that the cyclone packed maximum sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph during landfall. Wind gusts even touched 150 kmph. The storm system was located about 20 km east of Narsapur, 40 km south-southwest of Yanam, 60 km south-southwest of Kakinada, and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam. The IMD announced the landfall process was complete once the eye of the storm fully crossed the land. Heavy downpours battered multiple districts across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The state governments evacuated over 1,80,000 people to safe zones well in advance to prevent major disasters. Vizag recorded the highest rainfall at 315 mm till 8:30 AM on Wednesday. Vizianagaram received 301 mm, Anakapalle got 275 mm, Srikakulam saw 257 mm, and Krishna district recorded 223 mm of rain. The situation looked grim in Odisha too. Koraput recorded 188 mm, Ganjam got 161 mm, and Gajapati received 135 mm of rainfall.

Flights and trains take a hit

Airlines cancelled several flights heading to Vizag and Vijayawada on Wednesday because of the cyclone. Power supply took a massive hit across many parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Uprooted trees blocked roads and threw normal life out of gear. The administration shut down schools in the affected areas and the railways cancelled several trains. Officials warned that the cyclone's impact will likely continue through Wednesday and Thursday. Both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha might see more heavy rain over these two days. The local administration is keeping a close watch on the ground situation. The weather office predicted the storm will weaken further over land, but they advised people to stay alert for the next two days due to heavy rain and strong winds.