Cyclone Arnab Landfall Near Yanam: 89,000 Moved to Relief Camps

Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab was about 220 km from Visakhapatnam and 240 km from Kakinada at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday, the IMD said. It is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts near Yanam by Wednesday morning, so Cyclone Arnab landfall is about a day away. The IMD has raised its wind forecast to 125-135 kmph, gusting to 150 kmph.

Nearly 89,000 people on the Kakinada coast are being moved to 101 relief camps, and Odisha plans to evacuate 48,000. Both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have closed schools, banned fishing and kept rescue teams on standby. Rain has started in north coastal Andhra Pradesh, and the sea is rough to very rough. Visakhapatnam had the state’s heaviest rain by noon, about 37 mm at Tulasi Nagar Park, and its beaches are shut with police patrolling the shore.

​Seawater has flooded Uppada, Konapapet and Moolapet in Kakinada district and cut roads to Uppada. A tree fell across NH-16 near Anakapalli but was cleared, and no one was hurt. The railways have cancelled at least 61 trains. At Visakhapatnam airport, four Air India Express flights were cancelled and four IndiGo flights diverted.

​The Cyclone Arnab landfall will hit a coast that is already flooding before the storm arrives, which is why the early evacuation matters. Travel is the other pressure point. South Central Railway alone added 11 more cancellations for Tuesday and Wednesday, and passengers are told to check their status before leaving home. Anyone needing help can call the state control room on 112, 1070 or 1800 425 0101, or use the Mana Mitra WhatsApp service on 9552300009.

Landfall is expected on Wednesday forenoon, 28 October. Heavy rain is forecast for parts of Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand over the next three days. Watch whether the Cyclone Arnab landfall point shifts along the coast, how long people stay in relief camps, and when trains and flights resume.