Cyclone Arnab Makes Landfall on Andhra Pradesh Coast; Heavy Rain and Winds Batter Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: Cyclone Arnab made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh-Yanam coast early on Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The region is experiencing strong winds and heavy rainfall. Wind speeds near the centre of the cyclone have reached 125–135 kmph and could rise to 150 kmph, according to the IMD.

The cyclone moved northwestward at a speed of 3 kmph over the past three hours. The weather department said it was initially expected to continue moving slowly in the same direction before turning north-northwestward.

Heavy rain and strong winds disrupt Visakhapatnam

Strong winds and heavy rain disrupted normal life in the port city of Visakhapatnam on Tuesday as weather conditions deteriorated rapidly. Rain accompanied by powerful winds flooded major roads and caused waterlogging in low-lying areas. As the sea turned rough, massive waves battered coastal stretches along Beach Road.

The impact of the cyclone was particularly evident in Lawson’s Bay, MVP Colony, Siripuram, East Point Colony, Beach Road, the port area, Kirlampudi and One Town. Trees and branches were uprooted in several parts of the city.

Two-wheeler riders struggled to maintain their balance in the strong winds. Reports also indicated that some motorists lost control of their vehicles as wind speeds increased towards noon.

Movement across the city remained largely normal until 10 am on Tuesday. However, as conditions worsened, shops shut and street vendors stopped trading. With strong winds intensifying as the cyclone approached the coast, many residents stayed indoors. Uprooted trees and damaged greenery left parts of the city looking as though they had already been devastated by the storm.

The cyclone has revived memories of Cyclone Hudhud, which devastated Vizag in 2014.

Extremely heavy rainfall was recorded in several parts of Vizag. Data available until 6 pm on Tuesday showed that Jathara in rural Visakhapatnam received 14.18 cm of rain. Chemalapalli in Pendurthi recorded 13.8 cm, while Tulasi Nagar Park in rural Vizag received 13.65 cm.

Simhachalam in Gopalapatnam recorded 13.53 cm of rainfall, while Buchirajupalem and Netaji Park in Pendurthi received around 13.4 cm each.

The area around the 16th Police Battalion recorded 13.29 cm of rainfall. The Madhurawada Zonal Office and Gambhiram recorded 13.08 cm and 13.05 cm, respectively. In neighbouring Vizianagaram district, KVBR School in Bhogapuram received 13.25 cm of rainfall up to 6 pm on Tuesday.

The IMD said that several locations in Anakapalli and Visakhapatnam districts recorded extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 200 mm between 8.30 am on October 27 and 3 am on October 28.

Risk of coastal flooding

In its latest bulletin, the IMD warned of a high likelihood of water levels rising 1.0 to 1.5 metres above the astronomical tide level in low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh over the next three hours. The intensity of the flooding was expected to decrease after that period.