Cyclone Arnab: Eastern India braces for landfall as transport halts

Cyclone Arnab is poised to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast around dawn Wednesday, prompting widespread precautionary measures across the eastern seaboard. The India Meteorological Department has issued alerts for heavy to very heavy rainfall, with wind speeds expected to exceed 100 kilometres per hour in affected zones.

Andhra Pradesh has cancelled multiple flights and train services to minimise exposure to severe weather. Port authorities have successfully brought approximately 30,000 fishing boats ashore, protecting livelihoods of coastal communities. State officials have also repositioned citizens from low-lying areas to designated relief camps as a precautionary measure.

In neighbouring Odisha, administrators have ordered the closure of ghat roads connecting coastal settlements and imposed restrictions on vehicular movement. The state government has initiated a large-scale evacuation drive in southern districts, which fall in the cyclone's projected path. Cyclone shelters have been activated and stocked with essential supplies to accommodate displaced residents.

Both states have placed disaster management teams on high alert and positioned additional resources for rapid response operations. Authorities have appealed to fishing communities to remain inland and avoid venturing into the sea until weather conditions improve.