Cyclone Arnab weakened after crossing India’s Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast early on Wednesday, leaving at least three people dead and causing damage to homes, trees and power networks. The storm came ashore near Narsapur as a very severe cyclonic storm before its centre moved inland and its strength began to fall.
The most dangerous period at the coast lasted through the early morning. Arnab crossed between about 2am and 8am local time, with maximum sustained winds of 125 to 135 kilometres an hour and gusts reaching 150 kilometres an hour during landfall. Its centre then moved fully over land, ending the coastal landfall process but not the disruption caused by rain, wind and damaged infrastructure.
Storm centre moved inland near Narsapur
By 11.30am local time, Arnab was centred about 20 kilometres north-north-east of Narsapur, 44 kilometres south-south-west of Yanam and 60 kilometres south-south-west of Kakinada. It had weakened to a severe cyclonic storm, with sustained winds of 100 to 110 kilometres an hour and higher gusts.
That reduction in strength marked a change in the storm’s core winds rather than an immediate end to risk. Heavy rain, rough seas, fallen trees and damage to power and communication equipment remained concerns across coastal districts. Low-lying areas also faced the prospect of water inundation during and shortly after the landfall period.
Further weakening was expected as Arnab tracked north-north-west across land. Forecasts issued during the afternoon indicated that it could fall to cyclonic-storm strength later on Wednesday and weaken further overnight. Such changes can reduce the most extreme winds near the centre while still leaving communities exposed to prolonged rain, local flooding and hazardous debris.
Early impact picture still developing
At least three people were killed in Andhra Pradesh during the cyclone. Two of the deaths were linked to a fallen tree and electrocution. The casualty figure was an early count, and the full scale of harm had not been established while response work and damage assessments were continuing.
Initial assessments recorded damage to at least 180 homes and the fall of about 220 trees. Power supplies were disrupted in several areas, while crews worked to clear roads and deal with the effects of high winds and heavy rain. Crop losses were also a concern in a region where standing crops, plantations and orchards were vulnerable to severe wind and waterlogging.
More than 180,000 people had been evacuated from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha before the cyclone reached the coast. The precautionary moves were accompanied by school closures and disruption to some train and flight services. Operations at three airports in Andhra Pradesh were suspended during the storm.
Risks extend beyond the coastline
Arnab formed over the Bay of Bengal, where cyclones can quickly combine destructive winds with intense rainfall and coastal flooding. The immediate coastal threat eased as the centre moved inland, but the system continued to carry rain and wind risks across a wider area. Fishing activity remained unsafe in affected coastal waters during the period of severe conditions.
For residents in the hardest-hit districts, the next stage was likely to involve restoring electricity, removing fallen trees and checking homes, roads and crops for damage. Emergency figures from the first day should be treated as provisional, particularly where access, communications or continuing rain may delay a complete assessment. The weakening of Arnab therefore represented an important change in the storm’s intensity, not a conclusion to its effects on communities along and inland from the coast.
