Cyclone Arnab expected to make landfall today; 80,000 people evacuated, holidays declared

BENGALURU: Cyclone Arnab, formed in the Bay of Bengal, is heading towards the coast as a severe cyclonic storm. It is expected to make landfall around noon today along the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. At this time, wind speeds are ranging from 115 to 125 km/h, with gusts potentially reaching up to 140 km/h.

In light of Cyclone Arnab, the states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand are on high alert, as there is a possibility of extremely heavy rainfall. In Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, authorities have evacuated 89,000 people, and Hope Island has been completely cleared of residents. Authorities have set up more than 1,400 relief camps.

Holidays have been declared for educational institutions in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as well as in Odisha. As a precautionary measure, the Railways cancelled 53 services on Tuesday and today. Air India also warned that flight operations from Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada could be affected by the cyclone. Nepal is also on high alert.

In the Bengali language, 'Arnab' means 'ocean'. The name was proposed by Bangladesh, in accordance with the list of cyclones for the northern Indian Ocean.

Cyclone Arnab will not affect Kerala. The heavy rains experienced over the past few days, triggered by low-pressure systems, subsided by Monday. There is a possibility of isolated rainfall today and in the coming days. Since the onset of the Northeast Monsoon (Thulavarsham), the state has received the expected amount of rainfall. Between October 1 and yesterday, the state recorded 267.7 mm of rain against an expected 271 mm—a deficit of one per cent. All districts, with the exception of Kasaragod, received average rainfall; Kasaragod recorded a 34% deficit. Excess rainfall was received in the districts of Wayanad (40%), Palakkad (25%), and Thiruvananthapuram (28%).