Cyclone Alert / Cyclone Arnab’s Landfall Continues Along Andhra Coast, Says IMD

Amaravati, Oct 28: The landfall process of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab continued along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Wednesday, with the storm’s centre remaining close to the coastline, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The northern spiral band of the cyclone has moved further inland, and the landfall process is expected to continue for another three hours, according to the weather department.

“The centre of very severe cyclonic storm Arnab remains very close to the Andhra Pradesh coastline, and the landfall process is continuing,” the IMD said in an official press release.

The cyclone was positioned over the west-central Bay of Bengal, close to the Andhra Pradesh coast, near latitude 16.4 degrees north and longitude 82.0 degrees east. It was located approximately 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam, 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada and 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam.

The weather department said the system was likely to continue moving north-westwards and cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam.

The storm was expected to retain its very severe cyclonic intensity, with maximum sustained wind speeds of up to 135 kmph and gusts reaching 150 kmph during the next three hours, the IMD said.

Heavy Rain, Strong Winds Lash Coastal Districts

The impact of the cyclone was already being felt across several coastal districts, with heavy rainfall reported in parts of Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema.

District collectors in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Konaseema and West Godavari also reported heavy rainfall and strong winds in their respective districts.
Also Read: Cyclone Arnab’s Landfall Process Begins Near Yanam, Close to Kakinada

Officials said trees had fallen at some locations under the impact of the storm, indicating the disruptive effects of the strong winds accompanying the cyclone.

With the landfall process continuing and the system expected to maintain high wind speeds over the next few hours, coastal areas remained under the influence of severe weather conditions.

The IMD continued to monitor the cyclone’s movement as it progressed towards and across the Andhra Pradesh coastline.