HYDERABAD, India — Authorities in India evacuated tens of thousands of residents from vulnerable coastal areas in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday as a severe cyclone over the Bay of Bengal approached the country’s east coast, officials said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that Cyclone Arnab had intensified into a “very severe” cyclonic storm and was forecast to make landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast by Wednesday morning, bringing gusting winds and heavy rainfall.
Emergency crews accelerated preparations and began relocating residents from low-lying and flood-prone areas ahead of the anticipated landfall. Officials also suspended some train services after heavy rain and gusty winds began battering parts of the Andhra Pradesh coastline. According to an official statement, at least 89,000 people have been evacuated across the state so far.
The state disaster management authority noted that more than 12 million people reside along the storm’s projected path.
Prakhar Jain, a senior disaster management official in Andhra Pradesh, said the cyclone was traveling at approximately 20 kph (12 mph). He warned that “extremely heavy rains and strong gusty winds” are expected across parts of the coastal region on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Authorities established more than 2,000 cyclone shelters across 20 districts and issued emergency alerts to millions of mobile phones, Jain said, citing the Press Trust of India. Additionally, over 30,000 fishing boats were secured along the coast, and nearly 1,100 medical teams were deployed to affected areas to provide emergency assistance.
In neighboring Odisha, officials said they plan to evacuate approximately 48,000 people from areas expected to be affected by the storm.