Cyclone Arnab Landfall: Trains, flights cancelled; Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal on Alert – Best Updates | Today’s news
Cyclone Arnab, which has been categorized as a very severe cyclonic storm, has started making landfall in Andhra Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. According to the IMD, Cyclone Arnab has made landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam south of Yanam and the process is expected to continue for another three hours.
In its latest update, the IMD said the cyclone is maintaining a core intensity of 125 to 135 kmph, with gusts of up to 150 kmph. The storm, which has been moving northwest at 3 kph for the past three hours, is expected to move slowly northwest at first before tracking north-northwest.
Rain warning for Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal
As a result of landfall, several trees were uprooted and power lines snapped at various places in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh.
Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds uprooted trees and blocked Beach Road and Seethammadhara in Andhra Pradesh Visakhapatnam.
Heavy rain accompanied by gusty winds uprooted trees and blocked Beach Road and Seethammadhara in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
It has issued a major flood warning and said that a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 meters above astronomical tide is very likely to submerge low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh during the next 4 to 5 hours, with the highest peak tide expected near Kakinada and Yanam in Puducherry Union Territory.
The IMD said extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm was recorded at several places in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts between 08:30 on 27 October and 03:00 on 28 October.
In Odisha, the IMD has issued a severe weather warning forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy rainfall at one or two places over Gajapati, Ganjam, Rayagada, Koraput, Nawarangpur and Malkangiri districts. These areas are also very likely to experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty surface winds of 60 to 80 km/h, gusting up to 90 km/h.
Under orange warning, heavy to very heavy rainfall along with thunderstorms and gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph with gusts of up to 60 kmph were predicted for Kalahandi, Kandhamala, Nuapada, Balangir, Bargarh, Puri, Khordha, Sonepur, Boudh and Nayagarh.
Over 100,000 evacuated
Authorities earlier ordered thousands of people to move inland or take shelter in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha states ahead of the storm. About 100,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the two states, authorities said.
“Protection of every life is our utmost priority,” Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu said.
Trains, flights cancelled
As the cyclone and heavy rains continue to leave a trail of destruction, the South Central Railway has announced train cancellations, partial cancellations and rescheduling of several trains.
The civil aviation ministry said flights to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha would be among the worst affected due to the cyclone.
