Cyclone Arnab triggered powerful winds in Andhra Pradesh, uprooting trees and disrupting traffic in Kakinada. Emergency teams are clearing debris while the IMD warns of continued torrential rain and severe storm surges along the coastal belt.

Cyclone Arnab Strikes Andhra Pradesh

Strong gusty winds triggered by Cyclone Arnab uprooted several large trees across the Korangi area of Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada district on Wednesday, causing disruptions to vehicular traffic and local road connectivity. The fierce winds, which accompanied the storm's landfall process near the Kakinada coast, caused branches and full-grown trees to collapse along several road stretches in the region.

Following the incident, local administration, disaster response personnel, and emergency fire service teams swung into action, deploying tree-cutting equipment to clear the debris and restore normal traffic movement. Authorities have urged residents to remain indoors and avoid stepping out near electric poles, hoardings, and old trees until weather conditions stabilise. Emergency response teams remain stationed in vulnerable areas to address waterlogging, clear blocked roadways, and attend to infrastructure disruptions.

Human Impact and Relief Efforts

Severe distress gripped coastal Andhra Pradesh after Cyclone Arnab battered low-lying areas in Kakinada district, leaving homes wrecked and several families displaced. Recounting the devastation caused by the severe cyclonic storm, affected locals appealed to the state administration for immediate rehabilitation and financial support. Speaking to ANI, a local resident said, "We have lost everything due to the cyclone. Our houses have been damaged. We have nothing left except the clothes we are wearing. We request the government to come to our rescue and provide financial assistance and support to help us rebuild our lives."

The severe cyclonic winds and heavy downpours have caused extensive structural damage across the coastal belt. Meanwhile, local authorities and disaster response teams have intensified relief and rescue operations to assist the affected residents with basic supplies and temporary shelter.

IMD Forecast and Landfall Details

Earlier, Cyclone Arnab began its landfall process early Wednesday along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, bringing torrential downpours in the area, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). According to the IMD, the cyclone maintains a core intensity of 125 to 135 kmph, gusting up to 150 kmph. Having moved northwestwards at 3 kmph over the past three hours, the storm is expected to move slowly northwestwards initially before tracking north-northwestwards. "Landfall process will continue for the next 3 hours," the IMD said in its hourly bulletin. The landfall point is specified between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, to the south of Yanam. Surface winds over the landfall area are expected to hold at 125 to 135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph during the next three hours, before gradually decreasing, the weather department said.

In the wake of the landfall, multiple trees were uprooted, and power lines snapped across various locations in Andhra Pradesh's Kakinada. Heavy rain and gusty winds lashed several parts of West Bengal as an impact of Cyclone 'Arnab'.Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds uprooted trees, blocking Beach Road and Seethammadhara in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam. It has issued a major inundation alert, stating that a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above astronomical tide is very likely to submerge low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh during the next 4 to 5 hours, with the maximum peak surge expected near Kakinada and Yanam in the Puducherry Union Territory. The IMD mentioned that extreme heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm was recorded across several locations in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts between 0830 hrs on October 27 and 0300 hrs on October 28.

Regional Weather Warnings

In Odisha, IMD has issued a warning issued severe weather warnings, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at one or two locations over the districts of Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri. These areas are also very likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds reaching 60 to 80 kmph, gusting to 90 kmph. Under an orange warning, heavy to very heavy rainfall has been predicted for Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nuapada, Balangir, Bargarh, Puri, Khordha, Sonepur, Boudh, and Nayagarh, alongside thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching 40 to 50 kmph, gusting to 60 kmph. Additionally, a yellow warning has been issued, forecasting heavy rainfall at one or two places across Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj, Angul, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghapur, and Cuttack, accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty surface winds of 30 to 40 kmph, gusting to 50 kmph, effective from October 28 until 8:30 pm on October 29. (ANI)

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