Cyclone Arnab’s rain-bearing cloud bands have prompted the closure of all schools in Ranchi and East Singhbhum for October 28 and 29, as Jharkhand prepares for heavy rain, thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds. The order applies to government, aided, minority and private schools from kindergarten to Class XII.
The Ranchi administration issued the closure under Section 34 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. Private schools may conduct examinations already scheduled for the two days, but must inform the district education officer or district superintendent of education before doing so.
The decision follows an India Meteorological Department forecast that Cyclone Arnab would make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast early on Wednesday. Senior IMD Ranchi scientist Abhishek Anand said the cyclone was located over the west-central Bay of Bengal and was expected to bring winds of 130-140 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 150 kmph, near the landfall area.
Although the cyclone’s core is expected to remain away from Jharkhand, its cloud bands are likely to produce widespread rain across the state. Ranchi, Lohardaga, Gumla, Khunti, Simdega, East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan are expected to receive heavy rain on Wednesday, with the system’s strongest impact in Jharkhand likely on Thursday.
Several western districts have been placed under an orange alert, while Ranchi is under a yellow alert. Surface winds in the affected areas may reach 50-60 kmph on October 28 and 29, increasing the risk of fallen trees, waterlogging and localised disruption to roads and power infrastructure.
Ranchi Municipal Corporation has deployed eight quick-response teams across four zones and placed its sanitation, transport and horticulture wings on round-the-clock alert. Excavators, motor pumps and super suckers have been kept ready to respond to waterlogging, fallen trees and other emergencies.
In East Singhbhum, deputy commissioner Rajiv Ranjan directed officials to identify vulnerable pockets, keep evacuation plans and relief shelters ready, and maintain emergency power teams. District control rooms will monitor rainfall, road conditions, drainage points and damage reports from residents during the alert period.
Authorities have advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from open fields, trees and electric poles during thunderstorms. Flights and trains in Jharkhand were operating normally on Tuesday, although the railways cancelled several passenger services through the Odisha-Andhra coastal belt, including the Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express, which runs via Tatanagar, Rajkharsawan and Chakradharpur.
