Cyclone Arnab makes landfall on eastern coast, prompting mass evacuations and widespread disruptions

NEW DELHI — Cyclone Arnab made landfall on India’s eastern coast early Wednesday morning as a very severe cyclonic storm, packing winds up to 135kph (84mph) and triggering widespread evacuations and infrastructure disruptions across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

The powerful storm brought heavy rainfall, knocked down trees onto major highways, and crippled local power supplies. According to authorities, more than 12 million people live within the expected path of the cyclone. A day prior to landfall, emergency services evacuated 180,000 residents from vulnerable coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to safer shelters.

India’s Meteorological Department forecast a storm surge of up to 1.5 meters above normal tide levels, issuing warnings that low-lying coastal regions in Andhra Pradesh faced significant risks of inundation. The storm initially struck as the third-highest category on the severe cyclone scale before weakening to a “severe” classification after moving further inland. Flight operations, train schedules, and educational institutions faced widespread cancellations and closures across the affected zone.

“No one knew whose house the water would rush into next or whose home would be submerged,” residents recounted of the advancing floodwaters. Authorities confirmed that no casualties had been reported so far.

The severe weather system also triggered regional emergency measures across neighboring South Asian nations. In Sri Lanka, authorities ordered school closures as the Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology warned of potential flash floods and landslides.

Further north, Nepal authorities issued strict advisories on Tuesday warning tourists and hikers to stay out of high-altitude regions. Officials suspended trekking permits for three days amid fears that Cyclone Arnab would generate torrential downpours, severe snowstorms, and avalanches from Thursday through to Saturday. Nepal is currently in its peak hiking season, with approximately 750 hikers receiving permits daily. The fresh weather threat arrives as Nepal continues recovery efforts following a catastrophic glacial mountain collapse in August that killed more than 1,400 people and left at least 5,000 missing.