Politics · India Bureau
Cyclone Arnab pounds Andhra Pradesh with torrential rains; one dead
Andhra Pradesh braces for Cyclone Arnab's landfall as heavy rainfall batters northern districts. Authorities have evacuated nearly 85,000 people to cyclone shelters, though one death has already been reported.
LSN India ·
Cyclone Arnab intensified its assault on Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, unleashing very heavy rainfall across northern districts as the state government ramped up disaster response measures. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu confirmed that 290 cyclone shelters have been activated across vulnerable areas, with 84,396 people successfully relocated to safer locations ahead of the storm's expected landfall.
The cyclone claimed its first victim in the region when a 65-year-old man at Mangalapalem came into contact with snapped live electrical wires, officials said. The death underscores the hazardous conditions that have prevailed as the storm system approached the coast.
The India Meteorological Department indicated that Cyclone Arnab was expected to make landfall near the Yanam-Kakinada region between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., with wind speeds and rainfall intensity likely to increase significantly during this period. Authorities have issued alerts across coastal and northern districts urging residents to remain indoors and avoid venturing out during the critical window.
Disaster management teams remained on high alert across the state, with emergency response units positioned strategically to address potential flooding, structural damage, and other cyclone-related emergencies. The evacuation operations reflected lessons learned from previous cyclonic events in the region.