Cyclone Arnab begins making landfall in Andhra Pradesh — Kathmandu Post

Powerful Cyclone Arnab began making landfall in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh in the early hours of Wednesday. Strong winds and heavy rainfall have already uprooted trees in several places and caused power outages.

Evacuations and flight cancellations

Thousands of people were evacuated along India’s eastern coast ahead of the cyclone’s approach. Some rail and air services were also cancelled. Kathmandu Post reports on the developments.

Winds of up to 150 kilometres per hour

According to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department, wind speeds in the cyclone’s landfall area were expected to reach 125–135 kilometres per hour, with gusts of up to 150 kilometres per hour. Forecasters expected the winds to gradually weaken afterward.

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The meteorological service also warned that over the next six hours, low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh could be inundated by a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above the normal tidal level. The state chief minister’s office said that no information about fatalities had been received at that time.

A cyclone from the Bay of Bengal

Arnab is moving from the Bay of Bengal, a region where tropical cyclones form and have repeatedly struck India’s eastern coast. In October 1999, a super cyclone in Odisha claimed the lives of nearly 10,000 people.