Cyclone Arnab weakened after making landfall along the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts, while four additional National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were deployed to Andhra Pradesh and 80 State Disaster Response Force teams were mobilised for emergency operations.
NDRF Inspector General Narendra Singh Bundela said the system had entered the landmass and was expected to lose further intensity by the evening. The cyclone was downgraded from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm and was forecast to weaken into a cyclonic storm before becoming a deep depression.
“The system has now fully entered the landmass,” Bundela said at a press conference in Delhi. He said the four additional NDRF teams were sent to Andhra Pradesh after authorities assessed that the state was likely to be the most severely impacted. The teams were transported by Indian Air Force aircraft.
The India Meteorological Department said the very severe cyclonic storm completed landfall between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, southwest of Yanam, by 8 am on Wednesday. The cyclone crossed the coast between 2 am and 8 am, with its centre moving completely over land by 8 am. At landfall, maximum sustained wind speeds were 125–135 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 150 kmph.
At 8:30 am, the system was centred over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam and the adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal. The centre was around 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada. It was also located 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam, 120 km east of Gannavaram and 120 km southwest of Tuni.
NDRF, SDRF and district-level response teams were engaged in operations across affected areas. Bundela said the response was being coordinated between the state and central governments and confirmed that the Andhra Pradesh government had deployed 80 SDRF teams. In Yanam, the NDRF had evacuated 38 people who were stranded because of heavy rainfall, he said.
The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s Office said the state administration had been placed on high alert and was working continuously to protect lives and limit property damage. No loss of life had been reported so far, according to the report.
The cyclone has nevertheless damaged critical coastal infrastructure. High-intensity sea waves and severe coastal erosion affected the Uppada coastal road near Kakinada. Restoration and repair work has begun at the site to restore connectivity and protect the coastline. The state government is periodically releasing information on losses and damage through its State Emergency Operation Centre, according to the NDRF official.
