Cyclone Arnab Forces Mass Evacuations on India’s Eastern Coast

India is evacuating tens of thousands of residents from its eastern coastline as a strengthening Cyclone Arnab tracks toward the region, threatening more than 12 million people along its projected inland path. The storm has intensified since Monday and is expected to make landfall by Wednesday morning, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Storm Intensity and Projected Landfall

The IMD has issued a severe weather warning for the coastal states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The “very severe” cyclonic storm was centered 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of Visakhapatnam, the most populous port city in Andhra Pradesh.

Meteorologists expect Arnab to turn northwest and cross the coast by 11:30 am local time (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday. Sustained winds are forecast at 115 to 125 kilometers per hour (71 to 78 miles per hour), with maximum gusts reaching up to 140 kilometers per hour (87 miles per hour).

The system formed over the Bay of Bengal, a primary breeding ground for tropical cyclones that frequently impact India’s eastern seaboard. According to Andhra Pradesh’s disaster management authority, more than 12 million people reside directly along the storm’s projected northward path.

Mass Evacuations Across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha

Local authorities have moved nearly 50,000 people to designated storm shelters from vulnerable areas of Andhra Pradesh by Monday night. Prakhar Jain, managing director of the state’s disaster management authority, told the Reuters news agency that an estimated 400,000 people require evacuation. Evacuation is continuing, Jain stated.

Neighboring Odisha has initiated parallel safety measures, with local authorities announcing plans to relocate 48,000 residents out of harm’s way, according to the newspaper The Hindu.

Transportation Disruptions and Regional Impact

The approaching storm has severely disrupted regional transit networks. Railway authorities announced on social media that at least 12 trains have been cancelled across eastern India. Additionally, passenger services on 53 routes along the southern coast have been suspended for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Beyond India’s borders, authorities in Nepal issued formal advisories warning tourists to avoid high-altitude zones. Officials cite concerns that Cyclone Arnab could trigger heavy rainfall, severe snowstorms, and dangerous avalanches across the Himalayas from Thursday night through Saturday. This advisory follows a Himalayan flash flood in August that caused approximately 1,500 fatalities in Nepal.

Unresolved Himalayan Weather Risks

While evacuation operations and transport suspensions remain active across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of Wednesday’s landfall, the delayed impact on Nepal’s high-altitude terrain depends entirely on the storm’s trajectory after it moves inland. Regional disaster management teams have not yet determined the full extent of rainfall expected in the Himalayan foothills later in the week.

More on this story: Bay of Bengal Depression Forecast to Become Cyclone by Monday

Photo: yahoo.com