Cyclone Arnab hits India’s east coast, disrupting power and transport

Cyclone Arnab struck India’s eastern coast early on Wednesday, October 28, bringing heavy rainfall and winds reaching 135kph (84mph) as it moved into Andhra Pradesh. The storm caused widespread damage, with fallen trees blocking highways and electricity supplies disrupted. No casualties had been reported so far following its arrival.

At least 180,000 people had been evacuated from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha on Tuesday, ahead of the cyclone’s landfall. Authorities said more than 12 million people lived along its expected route. The storm also disrupted travel and education, with flights and train services cancelled and some schools forced to close.

Arnab came ashore with a classification of “very severe cyclonic storm”, the third-highest level on the scale used by India’s Meteorological Department. Its classification was subsequently lowered to “severe” as the cyclone travelled farther inland. The initial landfall brought both strong winds and heavy rain to the affected coastal state.

Flooding threatened homes in Kakinada district, an area of Andhra Pradesh in the cyclone’s path. A resident described the uncertainty as water spread: “No one knew whose house the water would rush into next or whose home would be submerged.” The account reflected fears over which homes would be inundated next.

India’s Meteorological Department forecast that a storm surge could reach as much as 1.5 metres above the tide level. It warned that the surge was likely to inundate low-lying parts of Andhra Pradesh, where the cyclone had crossed the coast on Wednesday morning.

Warnings linked to Arnab also extended to neighbouring Nepal. Authorities there told tourists on Tuesday to stay out of high-altitude areas because of concerns that the cyclone could bring torrential rain, snowstorms and avalanches. Those conditions were feared during the period from Thursday through Saturday.

Reuters reported that Nepal’s authorities had halted the issuing of trekking permits for three days. The suspension came during the country’s peak hiking season, when about 750 hikers receive permits each day. Nepal is still recovering from a catastrophic glacial mountain collapse in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left at least 5,000 missing.

Sri Lanka also closed schools amid concerns about the storm. Its Department of Meteorology warned that Arnab could cause flash floods and landslides.