India shelters 180,000 as Cyclone Arnab batters eastern coast

Bhubaneswar and Hyderabad — Cyclone Arnab struck India's east coast Wednesday with considerable force, leaving a trail of destruction across the region. Fallen trees blocked major highways while electricity poles were toppled by the storm's powerful winds, disrupting power supplies across affected areas.

State authorities accelerated evacuation efforts ahead of the cyclone's landfall, successfully moving more than 180,000 residents from vulnerable coastal and low-lying zones to designated shelters. The large-scale relocation reflected concerns about the cyclone's intensity and the region's vulnerability to tropical storm systems.

Thousands of people sheltered in relief camps as the cyclone swept across the eastern seaboard. Officials continued damage assessments across the affected districts to determine the full extent of the storm's impact on infrastructure and livelihoods.

The cyclone marks the latest severe weather event to impact South Asia's densely populated coastal regions, underscoring the recurring challenges posed by tropical cyclones during the monsoon season.