Cyclone Arnab left a trail of destruction in Andhra Pradesh, uprooting trees and electric poles and triggering power outages in several areas. Two people died of electrocution in separate incidents in the state.
The cyclonic storm crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts on Wednesday morning before weakening into a severe cyclonic storm. The landfall process was completed as the weather system moved entirely over land, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Wind speeds peaked at 135 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 150 kmph.
“The cyclone crossed the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts to the southwest of Yanam near latitude 16.45° N and longitude 81.9° E, about 20 km east-northeast of Narsapur, 40 km southwest of Yanam and 60 km southwest of Kakinada,” the IMD said in an official release.
Heavy rainfall battered several areas of Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Konaseema districts. Uprooted trees and electric poles disrupted traffic, while several low-lying areas were inundated.
A 53-year-old man died on Tuesday night after coming into contact with a live wire that had snapped over an agricultural field channel.
In a separate incident on Wednesday morning, a woman died after accidentally stepping on an exposed live wire outside her home in Yellamanchili town in Anakapalli district.
At least 609 schools across the state have been converted into rehabilitation centres to accommodate people affected by the storm.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has evacuated more than 30,000 people to safer locations, with the state’s southern districts remaining on high alert on Wednesday.
The administration is focusing on Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts, where residents of low-lying and landslide-prone areas are being moved to shelters, officials said.
Schools and anganwadi centres in 16 of the state’s 30 districts remained closed for the day.
The government has also kept 2,037 cyclone shelters ready, with arrangements for food, drinking water and other essential facilities for evacuees.
