NEW DELHI — Indian authorities have evacuated thousands of people from the country’s eastern coast and cancelled train services as Cyclone Arnab approaches, with landfall expected along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, October 28.
The storm, which formed over the Bay of Bengal, has intensified and is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha, prompting authorities to step up evacuation and emergency preparedness measures.
Prakhar Jain, managing director of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA), said nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters by Monday evening, out of an estimated 400,000 identified for evacuation. Evacuation operations were continuing, according to officials.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the cyclone was expected to strengthen further before crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast. Its latest forecast indicated that the storm could make landfall near the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam by Wednesday morning, bringing potentially destructive winds and intense rainfall.
Rail services have also been disrupted. Regional railway authorities announced the cancellation of at least 12 train journeys, while services on 53 routes along the southern coast were suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Authorities in Odisha have also stepped up precautionary measures, including the closure of schools and colleges in five districts for the two days.
In neighbouring Nepal, authorities have warned tourists and trekkers against travelling to high-altitude areas, citing the risk of heavy rainfall, snowstorms and avalanches associated with the approaching weather system.
The hazardous conditions are expected to affect parts of the Himalayas from Thursday evening through Saturday, raising concerns over the safety of trekkers and communities in mountainous areas.
The warning comes as Nepal continues to recover from devastating flash floods in August that killed at least 1,455 people, according to figures reported by the UK House of Commons Library in October. Thousands of people were also reported missing following the disaster.
The Bay of Bengal is a major hotspot for tropical cyclones, leaving India’s eastern coastline particularly vulnerable to severe storms, flooding and storm surges.