Andhra Pradesh Braces for Severe Cyclone Arnab as Landfall Near Yanam Looms

Andhra Pradesh has stepped up emergency preparedness as very severe cyclonic storm Arnab moves towards the state's coast, with authorities mobilising disaster response teams, opening cyclone shelters and positioning medical personnel, power restoration crews and relief supplies ahead of its expected landfall near Yanam on Wednesday.

The state government has urged residents to remain indoors as winds intensify and move to the nearest cyclone shelter if instructed by officials. People have also been advised to stay away from the sea, rivers, irrigation tanks and vulnerable structures, and to follow advisories issued by the State Disaster Management Authority and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

According to an official bulletin issued at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the cyclone was centred about 215 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and moving west-northwest at 22 km per hour. Winds near its centre were reaching 157 km per hour.

The system is expected to cross the coast close to Yanam, with the IMD forecasting sustained winds of 130-160 km per hour during landfall. A red warning has been issued for Andhra Pradesh.

The sea is expected to become very rough to phenomenal, with a storm surge of 1-2 metres forecast at landfall, particularly around Kakinada and Yanam. Authorities have directed fishermen to remain ashore until October 29. All 30,043 fishing boats have reportedly returned to shore, while ports have hoisted cautionary signals.

Thousands of emergency personnel and shelters deployed

The state has arranged 2,131 cyclone shelters across 20 districts. Mobile alerts have reached approximately 2.07 crore subscribers in 18 districts, while warnings about coastal swells and storm surges have been sent to 6.9 lakh subscribers in coastal areas.

Twelve National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 10 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams have been deployed across 14 districts, with one additional team from each force kept in reserve.

A total of 1,354 police personnel, 128 fire teams and 92 fire tenders have also been placed on standby.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Home Minister V. Anitha, the Real Time Governance Society and the State Disaster Management Authority are monitoring the situation continuously.

Heavy rainfall and flooding risks

The IMD has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely heavy showers at isolated locations, across north and central Andhra Pradesh through October 28.

The highest five-day district-average rainfall figures reported by officials are 257 mm in Srikakulam, 255 mm in Krishna, 227 mm in Parvathipuram Manyam, 214 mm in Visakhapatnam, 203 mm in Eluru and 202 mm in Vizianagaram.

Authorities are closely monitoring rivers in the Nagavali and Vamsadhara basins, where heavy rainfall could raise water levels and increase the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas.

Wind speeds along the coast were recorded at 40-50 km per hour on Tuesday morning. Officials expected them to increase to 70-80 km per hour during the afternoon and 100-110 km per hour by night, before intensifying further around landfall.

Hospitals, power and essential supplies on standby

The government has prepared 1,087 medical teams, 8,281 emergency beds and 1,274 ambulances to deal with cyclone-related emergencies. Authorities have also stocked 21,536 anti-snake venom vials in anticipation of emergencies following flooding.

As many as 1,351 pregnant women whose expected delivery dates fall by October 30 have already been admitted to hospitals as a precaution.

More than 8,400 workers have been kept ready for power restoration and other emergency repairs. The state has also arranged 2,613 water tankers, 2,430 generators and 4,448 reverse osmosis (RO) water purification plants to maintain essential services if normal supplies are disrupted.

A total of 14,686 ration shops have sufficient stocks for two months, according to officials. Fuel and liquefied petroleum gas supplies have also been arranged for generators, communication towers and ambulances.

Farmers, livestock and vulnerable communities

Cyclone advisories have been sent to 35.96 lakh farmers, while 291 shelters for livestock have been prepared.

Authorities are also monitoring welfare hostels, including 419 tribal hostels housing 88,083 students, to ensure that vulnerable residents receive timely assistance.

The Roads and Buildings Department has positioned 550 earth-moving machines, or JCBs, and 596 power saws for emergency clearance of fallen trees, damaged roads and debris. Officials are also keeping watch over 1,079 minor irrigation tanks.

Meanwhile, Home Minister V. Anitha held a teleconference with district collectors in areas likely to be affected by the cyclone. She said the government was prepared to respond to the situation and directed officials to alert residents of coastal villages in advance.

The minister also instructed departments to coordinate their operations to ensure timely evacuations, emergency assistance and the uninterrupted delivery of essential services.

With the cyclone expected to approach the coast within hours, authorities are focusing on early warnings, the protection of vulnerable residents and rapid response arrangements to minimise loss of life and damage to infrastructure.