Massive Evacuation Underway as ‘Very Severe’ Cyclone Arnab Approaches India’s East Coast
Indian authorities have launched a massive emergency operation, ordering the evacuation of nearly 100,000 residents across the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha as Cyclone Arnab barrels toward the coastline. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has classified the weather system as a “very severe cyclonic storm,” warning that it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday morning with ferocious winds reaching up to 150 kilometers per hour.
As the storm system intensifies, the regional impact is already being felt. In the port city of Kakinada, torrential rains have lashed the coast, while powerful, heavy waves have begun to batter the shoreline, signaling the imminent arrival of the destructive weather front.
A Race Against Time in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha
The scale of the government response highlights the severity of the threat. Reports indicate that approximately 50,000 people in Andhra Pradesh and 48,000 in Odisha have been directed to vacate their homes for safer, government-designated facilities. In a proactive measure to protect vulnerable populations, authorities have relocated over 4,700 pregnant women to local hospitals.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to maintain round-the-clock monitoring of the cyclone’s trajectory. Consequently, educational institutions across several high-risk districts have been shuttered until Saturday. Similarly, Odisha has operationalized over 1,700 cyclone shelters and implemented strict movement restrictions in areas prone to landslides.
For residents like 35-year-old Kotesh Kumar of Kakinada, the situation is unprecedented. “I’ve never seen anything like this before,” he said, noting that while the region experienced a cyclone three years ago, the current surge in sea levels is far more alarming.
Meteorological Warnings and Regional Risks
The IMD has issued grim projections, warning that the cyclone is likely to cause “total destruction” of thatched-roof homes, widespread damage to agricultural crops, and extensive disruptions to power and communication infrastructure due to uprooted poles.
The threat extends well beyond India’s borders. Sri Lanka has shuttered its schools, with meteorological officials warning that the storm could trigger dangerous flash floods and mudslides across the island. The Sri Lankan Disaster Management Centre has placed the national military on high alert.
Meanwhile, Nepal is bracing for the storm’s inland movement. The Himalayan nation’s disaster authority has issued warnings for the period starting Thursday night, cautioning that the remnants of the system will likely cause heavy rainfall, snowstorms, and a significant risk of avalanches in mountainous regions. This comes as a particularly sensitive time for Nepal, which is still reeling from a catastrophic August glacial collapse that resulted in over 1,400 fatalities and thousands of missing persons.
Climate Concerns and Preparedness
While cyclones are a recurrent challenge in the Bay of Bengal and the northern Indian Ocean, experts have noted that the current storm season is being exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon, which has led to unprecedented warming of the seas.
As of Tuesday, police in Kakinada have barricaded roads leading to the sea, and the Cabinet Secretariat in New Delhi has confirmed that adequate evacuation arrangements and emergency shelters are fully operational. Authorities continue to urge citizens to stockpile essential supplies and strictly adhere to government guidelines as the country prepares to weather the impact of Cyclone Arnab.
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