Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is now crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast south of Yanam on Wednesday morning, the State Disaster Management Authority said, after the storm had stalled close to the coast. According to IANS, the centre of the cyclone was about 30 km from Narsapuram and the crossing process, under way for about two hours, was expected to be complete by Wednesday afternoon.

Source: IANS

The India Meteorological Department said winds over the landfall area were forecast at 125-135 km per hour, gusting to 150 km per hour, with a storm surge of 1.5 to 2.5 metres above normal tide likely to inundate low-lying coastal areas, The Hindu BusinessLine reported. Heavy rain and gusty winds continued across Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts.

Source: The Hindu BusinessLine

No loss of life had been reported so far, authorities said. Trees and electric poles were uprooted and crop damage was reported, with preliminary reports suggesting the Godavari districts were the worst affected. Low-lying areas in Dr B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district were inundated, and fallen trees disrupted electricity supply in some areas.

Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority Managing Director Prakhar Jain asked people to remain alert while the crossing continued. More than 180,000 people had earlier been evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of the storm, and some train and flight services were cancelled, Reuters reported.

Source: Reuters via DevDiscourse

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference on the cyclone's impact and relief operations involving 32,000 personnel, from district collectors to field staff, and a separate review with senior officials from the electricity, irrigation, roads and buildings, agriculture, urban development and panchayat raj departments. He asked officials to prepare preliminary estimates of crop damage and to keep working until normalcy is restored.

Rainfall was extremely heavy in parts of the coast before landfall completed, with more than 200 mm recorded at several locations in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts between Tuesday morning and early Wednesday, according to IMD figures reported by local coverage. Officials said the wind speed would decrease gradually after the crossing is complete.