At least five people have been reported dead in Andhra Pradesh due to Cyclone Arnab, up from the three deaths and 31 damaged houses reported by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) earlier on Wednesday, as strong winds and heavy rain damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles, and disrupted power supply and transport across coastal districts.
Source: The Daily Jagran live updates
The five deaths were reported one each from Visakhapatnam, Anakapalle, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari districts, with the victims hit by trees or electrocuted during the storm, according to reports. Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast between 2 am and 8 am on Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, with winds of 125-135 kmph gusting to 150 kmph.
Source: Inshorts
In its 1430 hrs IST bulletin, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the severe cyclonic storm lay centered near 16.8°N and 81.8°E — about 40 km north-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km west-northwest of Yanam and 50 km west-southwest of Kakinada — after moving slowly north-northwestwards at 7 kmph over the previous six hours. It is very likely to keep moving north-northwestwards over the next 48 hours and weaken gradually, becoming a cyclonic storm by Wednesday evening and a deep depression by night, the IMD said, adding that the system is under continuous surveillance by the Doppler Weather Radar at Machilipatnam.
Source: IMD via PTI on X, reported by The Daily Jagran
The IMD's Cyclone Warning Centre issued a moderate-to-high flash flood risk alert for 13 Andhra Pradesh districts and Yanam until 5.30 am on Thursday, covering Bapatla, Guntur, NTR, Krishna, Eluru, East Godavari, Kakinada, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Anakapalli, Parvathipuram Manyam and West Godavari, warning that surface runoff and flooding could affect saturated, low-lying areas.
Source: The Daily Jagran live updates
Rainfall under the storm was intense: the IMD's National Bulletin 25 recorded 260 mm at Garividi in the 24 hours ending 0830 hrs IST on Wednesday, with Anakapalle, Srungavarapukota, Vepada and Cheepurupalle each recording 250 mm and Visakhapatnam 220 mm; in Odisha, Mahendragarh recorded 250 mm and Pottangi 190 mm.
Source: IMD National Bulletin 25 via The Watchers
In neighbouring Odisha, more than 30,000 people were evacuated to safer locations as heavy rain lashed the southern districts, state Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said, with Malkangiri expected to bear the brunt. Odisha had 2,037 shelters ready and 313 response teams deployed — 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force teams, nine NDRF teams and 244 Fire and Emergency Services teams.
Source: The Watchers
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging that NDRF and other central agency support continue in the coming days and that a central team be deputed early to assess the damage once the state submits its detailed assessment. In Kakinada, District Fire Officer Krupavaram said fire services responded to around 65 calls and cleared more than 200 uprooted trees, with personnel from several other districts joining the work.
Source: The Daily Jagran live updates