Cyclone Arnab: India's Andhra Pradesh Coast Hit by 135 kph Winds

Cyclone Arnab crossed the coastline of Andhra Pradesh state in India during the early hours of Wednesday, local officials confirmed. The storm system moved inland after intensifying over the Bay of Bengal, bringing strong winds and heavy precipitation to the eastern coast of the subcontinent.

Prakhar Jain, who heads the state disaster management authority, reported that wind speeds reached 135 kph, or 84 mph, at landfall. Although the cyclone had weakened slightly before it reached the shore, it continued to drive heavy rainfall into several coastal districts. This weather pattern caused widespread disruption across the affected regions.

In the days leading up to the landfall, authorities placed all coastal districts on high alert. They initiated evacuations from low-lying and flood-prone zones once the outer bands of the storm began lashing the coast late Tuesday. State officials reported that at least 89,000 people had been evacuated by the time the storm hit. Some train services were also canceled due to the gusty winds and heavy rain that arrived before the main system made landfall.

Preparations involved the deployment of nearly 1,100 medical teams to the affected areas. Emergency alerts were sent to the mobile phones of millions of residents. Officials secured more than 30,000 fishing boats along the coast and established over 2,000 cyclone shelters across 20 districts. Jain noted that more than 12 million people live along the path the cyclone was expected to take.

The India Meteorological Department classified the system as a severe cyclonic storm in an update on Wednesday. The agency stated that the landfall process was complete. Heavy rainfall and strong winds are expected to continue under the influence of the storm in coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of southern Odisha state.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, though some damage was observed in the region. Officials expect the cyclone to weaken further as it moves deeper inland, with wind speeds likely to ease later in the day. In the neighboring state of Odisha, authorities planned to evacuate approximately 48,000 people from areas vulnerable to the storm's impact.