India Evacuates Tens of Thousands as Cyclone Arnab Nears

Indian authorities have evacuated tens of thousands of people from vulnerable coastal areas in the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh as a severe cyclone over the Bay of Bengal was expected to make landfall along the country’s east coast.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that Cyclone Arnab had intensified into a “very severe” cyclonic storm and was projected to hit the Andhra Pradesh coast by Wednesday morning, accompanied by gusting winds and heavy rainfall.

Preparations were intensified, with evacuations commencing in low-lying and flood-prone regions. Some train services were canceled as heavy rain and strong winds began to affect parts of the Andhra Pradesh coast. An official statement indicated that at least 89,000 people had been evacuated in Andhra Pradesh.

The state’s disaster management authority noted that more than 12 million people reside within the cyclone's anticipated path.

Prakhar Jain, a senior disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh, stated that the cyclone was moving at approximately 20 kph (12 mph). He warned of "extremely heavy rains and strong gusty winds" likely in coastal areas on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the storm's impact.

Authorities established over 2,000 cyclone shelters across 20 districts and disseminated emergency alerts to millions of mobile phone users. According to the Press Trust of India news agency, more than 30,000 fishing boats were secured along the coast, and nearly 1,100 medical teams were deployed to provide emergency assistance in affected areas.

In the neighboring state of Odisha, officials are preparing to evacuate approximately 48,000 people from areas anticipated to be impacted by the storm.