Cyclone Arnab Makes Landfall Along Andhra Pradesh Coast, Heavy Rain Batters Several States

Cyclone Arnab began its landfall process along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts early Wednesday, bringing torrential rain and strong winds to several areas, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The landfall process of the very severe cyclonic storm was continuing, with its centre remaining close to the Andhra Pradesh coastline. The IMD said the cyclone’s northern spiral band had moved further inland and that the process was expected to continue for another three hours.

The storm was forecast to cross the coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam, with maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph during the next three hours.

Cyclone Arnab’s Location And Expected Path

According to the IMD, the cyclone was positioned over the west-central Bay of Bengal, close to the Andhra Pradesh coast, at latitude 16.4 degrees north and longitude 82.0 degrees east.

It was located approximately 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-south-west of Yanam, 70 km south-south-west of Kakinada and 90 km east-north-east of Machilipatnam.

The weather department said the system was likely to continue moving north-westwards as it crossed the coast. The storm was expected to retain its very severe cyclonic intensity during the landfall process, with winds reaching the forecast speeds.

Heavy Rain And Strong Winds Hit Coastal Districts

The cyclone brought heavy rainfall to several locations in the Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema districts, according to the IMD.

District collectors in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari also reported heavy rain and strong winds in their respective areas.

Officials reported that trees had fallen at some locations due to the impact of the cyclone. The landfall process and the associated adverse weather conditions continued along the coast on Wednesday morning.