Cyclone Arnab forms over Bay of Bengal; Andhra landfall still due on 28 Oct, Odisha shuts schools in 5 districts

The weather system over the Bay of Bengal strengthened into a cyclonic storm on Monday morning, 26 October, and has been named Arnab, according to OdishaTV. Bangladesh proposed the name, which means “ocean”. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has kept its landfall forecast unchanged: the storm is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam in the forenoon of Wednesday, 28 October, as a very severe cyclonic storm.

At landfall, sustained winds are forecast at 115 to 125 kmph, with gusts of up to 140 kmph. The IMD expects the storm to become a severe cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning and to keep strengthening as it moves north-west towards the coast.

Where the storm is now

In its 11.30 pm bulletin on Sunday, the IMD placed the system, then still a deep depression, near latitude 15.3 N and longitude 89.7 E over the east-central Bay of Bengal. ANI reported that this was about 730 km east-south-east of Visakhapatnam, 820 km from Kakinada and 990 km east of Bapatla. It had moved west-north-west at about 15 kmph over the previous six hours.

The Hans India reported that the Konaseema-Yanam-Kakinada stretch is among the likely landfall areas. Rain is expected to get heavier from Tuesday.

Andhra Pradesh prepares for heavy rain

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed preparations on Sunday with the Chief Secretary, the DGP and district collectors. He told officials to stay on high alert. According to The Hans India, 10 NDRF and 11 SDRF teams are available in the state. Officials have reviewed plans to move people out of vulnerable areas, set up relief camps and restore power quickly. All fishing boats have been told to return to shore.

Deccan Chronicle reported the IMD’s red alerts for extremely heavy rain. On Tuesday they cover Kakinada, Konaseema, East and West Godavari, Eluru and Yanam. On Wednesday they widen to Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli, Alluri Sitharama Raju, NTR, Krishna and Guntur. The Federal said power distribution chiefs were to camp in vulnerable areas from Monday, with about 25,000 electric poles ready for repairs. Consumers can report power faults on the 1912 helpline.

Odisha shuts schools in five districts

Odisha is not in the direct path, but its southern districts bordering Andhra Pradesh are expected to get heavy rain and gusty winds. A red alert for 28 October covers Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput and Malkangiri, with isolated falls of more than 20 cm possible. Schools, colleges and anganwadi centres in these five districts will be closed on 28 and 29 October. Collectors elsewhere will decide on closures depending on conditions.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said about 60 ODRAF teams and 17 NDRF teams had been deployed, and 225 fire service units have been placed on alert. Leave for collectors and key officers has been cancelled, and eight ministers have been sent to vulnerable districts from 27 to 29 October. The state is aiming for zero casualties. Ganjam has 100 cyclone shelters ready.

In Tamil Nadu, cyclone warning signals have been raised at several ports, including Chennai, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Thoothukudi, and mechanised boats have been kept ashore. As of Monday morning, the sources we checked had not reported any railway cancellations linked to the storm.

Sources

• OdishaTV: Odisha cyclone news: Cyclone ‘Arnab’ intensifies into cyclonic storm over Bay of Bengal
• ANI: Cyclone Arnab expected to make landfall off Andhra Pradesh coast on October 28
• The Federal: Cyclone Arnab: Red alert in 5 Odisha districts; leaves cancelled, schools to be closed
• The Hans India: Cyclone Arnab: AP on alert as IMD warns of severe cyclonic storm
• Deccan Chronicle: Cyclone Arnab Moving Towards AP Coast
• The Daily Jagran: Tomorrow School Holiday: Districts schools to remain shut amid ‘Cyclone Arnab’