Cyclone Arnab weakens after landfall in Andhra Pradesh as swift response limits casualties

Landfall and immediate impact

Cyclone Arnab crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts about 20 kilometres east-northeast of Narsapur early on Wednesday morning, bringing high winds and heavy rainfall before weakening over land.

The India Meteorological Department said the landfall process was completed by 8.30 am, with maximum sustained wind speeds reaching 125 km/h to 135 km/h and gusts up to 150 km/h. Officials confirmed three storm-related fatalities in Andhra Pradesh. A man died after a tree fell on him in Bhimavaram in West Godavari district, while two people were electrocuted in separate incidents in Visakhapatnam and Anakapalli districts.

Administrative readiness and swift evacuations

Proactive administrative coordination and advance warnings minimized casualties across the coastal belt. Disaster management authorities evacuated more than 87,000 residents from vulnerable low-lying areas across affected states into temporary shelters.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu led a high-level teleconference with approximately 32,000 field officials and staff on Wednesday morning, directing teams to clear fallen trees within two hours and restore electricity as soon as wind speeds moderated. Chief Minister Naidu also wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to request a central assessment team, noting preliminary estimates that paddy across 70,900 hectares and horticulture crops across 10,450 hectares had been affected by heavy waterlogging.

Infrastructure restoration and public safety

National Disaster Response Force Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela confirmed that 39 NDRF teams were deployed across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Puducherry, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including four extra teams dispatched to Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday night.

Restoration operations commenced immediately after the storm passed. Visakhapatnam District Collector Abhishikth Kishore reported that around 80 per cent of electricity and water supply had been restored by Wednesday afternoon, with 150 specialized teams clearing fallen trees and replacing damaged utility poles. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that trees fell on tracks at 10 locations across the rail network, with all sites cleared promptly by maintenance personnel.

Transport services faced temporary precautionary pauses. Aviation officials reported 38 flight cancellations at Visakhapatnam airport and 17 at Vijayawada airport, while the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation advised passengers to verify flight status as weather conditions gradually normalized.