Cyclone Arnab hits India's east coast, killing three; 180,000 evacuated
The storm made landfall in Andhra Pradesh with gusts of up to 150 km/h, toppling power poles and halting flights and trains. At least three people were killed.
Archive image · Photo: Adityamadhav83 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Cyclone Arnab slammed into the coast of India's southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh early Wednesday. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the storm's centre crossed the coast near Narsapur, southwest of Yanam and Kakinada, between about 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. local time. Winds at landfall reached 125 to 135 km/h, gusting to 150 km/h. The cyclone weakened to a "severe" storm by midday as it moved inland.
At least three people were killed, according to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Two died after contact with fallen live power lines, while details of the third death were not released. More than 180,000 people had been evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha, where over 2,000 shelters were readied.
Fallen trees blocked roads and power was cut in many areas. Airports including Visakhapatnam suspended operations, train and flight services were cancelled and schools were closed in 16 districts of Odisha. Some areas recorded more than 250 mm of rain in 24 hours, and the weather office warned of storm surge in low-lying coastal areas. Nepal and Sri Lanka also issued severe weather warnings linked to the system.