Cyclone Arnab crosses Andhra-Yanam coast; storm surge alert near Kakinada, Odisha on red alert

Cyclone Arnab began crossing the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts in the early hours of Wednesday, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) saying in its hourly bulletin that the landfall process would continue for roughly three more hours. The department had on Tuesday afternoon brought forward its landfall window to between 2 am and 4 am.

At landfall the storm was packing sustained winds of 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts reaching about 150 kmph, according to the IMD. The system was moving slowly towards the north-west and was expected to weaken gradually after crossing the coast.

Surge warning for Kakinada and Yanam

The IMD issued a major inundation alert, warning that a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above the astronomical tide could flood low-lying stretches of coastal Andhra Pradesh over several hours, with the highest surge expected around Kakinada and Yanam, a part of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Kakinada port had hoisted the highest danger signal on Tuesday.

Early reports from the coast described uprooted trees and snapped power lines in Kakinada, while fallen trees blocked roads in parts of Visakhapatnam. Several places in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts recorded more than 200 mm of rain between Tuesday morning and the early hours of Wednesday. No official casualty figures had been released at the time of writing.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday evening that the impact zone was now expected to stretch from Srikakulam to Krishna district. State officials reported that tens of thousands of people had been shifted to cyclone shelters and relief camps along the coast ahead of landfall.

Odisha targets zero casualties

In neighbouring Odisha, the IMD has warned of heavy to extremely heavy rain in southern districts including Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Nabarangpur and Malkangiri, with gusty winds of up to 90 kmph. Special Relief Commissioner Rajesh P Patil said the state planned to evacuate at least 48,000 people from low-lying and landslide-prone areas, with Gajapati and Nabarangpur accounting for about 11,000 each.

Odisha has deployed nine NDRF teams, 60 state disaster response teams and 225 fire service units, closed schools in eight districts on Tuesday and Wednesday, and released Rs 19 crore for relief. Officials said the state had set a target of zero casualties and warned of possible flash floods in western and northern districts.

Centre's advisory

The Union Home Ministry has asked 14 states and Union Territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, to keep a close watch, suspend fishing operations, evacuate vulnerable coastal residents and regulate rail and road traffic where needed. Residents in the affected belt have been advised to stay indoors and follow official advisories until the storm weakens.