Cyclone Arnab, the weather system in the Bay of Bengal, has turned into a very severe cyclonic storm and has moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 23 kmph and is expected to make landfall on the Andhra Pradesh coast between Baptla and Visakhapatnam on Wednesday with a speed of 115-125 kmph. The alerts for gusty winds and extremely heavy rainfall have already been issued across the states on the eastern coast.

As per IMD's latest update, the cyclone was near latitude 15.9°N and longitude 86.0°E, 400 km south-southeast of Gopalpur (Odisha), 350 km southeast of Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 420 km east-southeast of Kakinada (Andhra Pradesh), 520 km east of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), 590 km east of Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh) and 870 km west-northwest of Sri Vijaya Puram (Andaman Islands).

The cyclonic storm has also affected railway operations as 53 trains have been cancelled. South Coast Railroad Zone has established a 24-hour war room to monitor the evolving situation and act accordingly.

Preparations in Andhra

  • Andhra Pradesh government has released Rs 27 crore to 20 districts that brace for the adverse weather conditions. Rs 2 crore each has been allocated by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority to Bapatla, Krishna, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari, Kakinada and Anakapalli districts for relief and emergency response measures. Rs 1 crore each has been released to Srikakulam, Markapuram, Guntur, NTR, Eluru, Alluri, Polavaram, Manyam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Sri Sathya Sai, Nellore and Tirupati districts.
  • Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to ensure adequate supplies, including rations and electricity, where disruptions occur.

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  • The state has also begun evacuation of people from low-lying and vulnerable areas. According to news agency Reuters' report, the state government has identified 5,70,000 people as vulnerable.
  • The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed across 11 districts.
  • Schools, colleges and other educational institutes have been ordered to remain closed.
  • The Andhra Pradesh Fire Department is on the ground with 13 rescue boat teams, 853 life buoys, 1,328 life jackets and 76 ASKA lights to support rescue operations. Apart from them, 115 wood-cutting teams have also been deployed to provide prompt support on roads and highways.
  • The authorities have managed to bring back 30,043 fishing boats to the coasts. All fishermen who ventured into the sea have returned safely.

Odisha braces for stormy weather

  • The Odisha government has also ramped up its efforts to keep people safe and prevent tragedies and losses. The state government has identified 15,000 people for evacuation. The disaster management authorities have evacuated 210 pregnant women from the low-lying and vulnerable areas to health centres.
  • Eight ministers of the state government have been assigned the responsibilities to monitor preparedness and act accordingly to keep the state unaffected to the maximum extent.
  • Anganwadi centres, schools and colleges will remain closed in five districts on Tuesday and Wednesday.
  • The state government has 880 multipurpose cyclone and flood shelters. Out of these, 281 are ready.
  • Fire and Emergency Services in the state have identified Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Ganjam as priority districts.
  • The Odisha Police IG Umashankar Dash told news agency ANI that 225 fire services teams have been deployed, supported by over 100 boats and a round-the-clock state command centre. 5 NDRF Teams are on the ground
  • IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that sea conditions would worsen and the wave heights would potentially exceed 14 metres on Oct 27.

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  • The State Electricity Department has activated a multi-level electricity restoration plan with 83 emergency transmission towers, 1,115 km of conductors and 11 control centres.
  • The electricity department has also issued numbers to report power-related issues for prompt redressal. The citizens can report their complaints on 9124293314, 1912 and 18002026.