Cyclone Arnab Hits Andhra Pradesh, Killing Three and Wiping Out 79,000 Acres of Crops

Seventy-nine thousand acres of agricultural land were damaged in Andhra Pradesh after Cyclone Arnab struck the state's coast. The storm made landfall early Wednesday as a very severe cyclonic storm, producing wind speeds of 135 kph, or 84 mph. As it moved inland, the system weakened, but it left behind widespread destruction to residential structures, road networks, and power grids across 14 coastal districts.

The disaster followed a large-scale evacuation effort. State authorities moved at least 180,000 people from low-lying and flood-prone zones before the cyclone arrived. In the neighboring state of Odisha, officials prepared to evacuate approximately 48,000 additional residents from areas in the storm's path. The state disaster management agency noted that more than 12 million people live along the projected trajectory of the cyclone.

Three fatalities were confirmed in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Two women died from electrocution incidents in the port city of Visakhapatnam. A third person was killed when a tree fell on them in East Godavari district. State Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu requested urgent assistance from the central government to address the damage.

In the Konaseema district, banana and coconut plantations suffered extensive damage. Trees and power poles were uprooted, which cut off electricity to large parts of the region. The India Meteorological Department warned that strong winds and heavy rain would persist in coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of southern Odisha as the storm dissipated. Rainfall had already flooded several low-lying sections of Visakhapatnam.

Preparations included the suspension of certain train services and the securing of fishing boats. Medical teams were deployed to the affected zones to assist residents. Meanwhile, the disaster agency in Nepal issued warnings for heavy rain, lightning, and thunderstorms across much of the country. The agency advised tourists to avoid high-altitude and Himalayan regions and warned of potential disruptions to road and air travel.

Nepal is still recovering from flash floods in August that killed more than 1,400 people. Additional flooding was reported in the northern parts of that country earlier this month. The current weather pattern threatens to complicate the ongoing recovery efforts in the Himalayan nation.