Cyclone Arnab is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh coast near Yanam on Wednesday afternoon, prompting school closures, a fishing ban, rescue-team deployment and the cancellation of more than 50 South Central Railway services across coastal routes. The storm is also expected to bring heavy to very heavy rain and strong winds to coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.
The very severe cyclonic storm was located over the west-central Bay of Bengal and about 260 km southeast of Visakhapatnam, according to the weather bulletin cited in the report. It was also about 300 km east-southeast of Kakinada, 390 km east of Machilipatnam and 460 km east of Bapatla. The storm had moved nearly westwards at about 22 kmph during the six hours preceding the bulletin.
The system was expected to continue moving west-northwestwards until Tuesday evening before turning northwestwards. Its projected crossing point was between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, on Wednesday afternoon. Coastal districts were expected to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall on October 27 and 28, while rainfall and strong winds had already affected parts of Kakinada, Konaseema, Anakapalle and Visakhapatnam on Tuesday morning.
The state government has stepped up precautionary measures to reduce the risk to life and infrastructure. Educational institutions in coastal districts have been closed, sea fishing operations have been prohibited and rescue teams have been placed on standby at multiple locations. Sea conditions along the Visakhapatnam coast had turned rough as rainfall activity was expected to intensify from Tuesday afternoon.
Rail connectivity has been among the first major urban and regional services to be affected. South Central Railway cancelled more than 50 trains operating between Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Kakinada, and on other routes on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the approaching cyclone and passenger-safety concerns. Travellers have been advised to check train-specific cancellation details, confirm their journey dates and verify the latest train status before leaving for stations.
Flight operations at Visakhapatnam Airport, ASR International Airport and Bhogapuram Airport were reported to be normal on Tuesday, with no cancellations reported at that point. However, weather conditions linked to Cyclone Arnab could affect flights to and from Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. Passengers have been advised to check the status of their flights before travelling.
The next operational milestone is the cyclone’s expected landfall near Yanam on Wednesday afternoon. Authorities, passengers and coastal residents are expected to continue monitoring weather bulletins, transport advisories and local emergency instructions as the system approaches the Andhra Pradesh coast.
