Hyderabad: Cyclone Arnab weakened into a cyclonic storm on Wednesday evening after crossing the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast, leaving five people dead and causing damage to roads, houses and electricity infrastructure.
The cyclone’s landfall process continued from around 2 am to 8 am on Wednesday, bringing heavy rainfall to coastal districts. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said five people were killed in incidents involving electrocution and wall collapse.
Hundreds of villages across more than 10 districts, including Eluru, West Godavari and Vizianagaram, were affected. Several areas received more than 200 mm of rainfall, inundating low-lying localities. In Vizianagaram district, rural police rescued five people trapped inside a house surrounded by floodwater in Dharmapuri village.
The India Meteorological Department said the storm was likely to weaken further into a deep depression by midnight on Wednesday and continue moving north-northwestward over the next 24 hours. It also issued a moderate-to-high flash flood risk warning for 13 Andhra Pradesh districts and Yanam until 5.30 am on Thursday.
In Odisha, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said 23,827 people were being sheltered across eight districts, with no casualties reported in the state so far. More than 2,200 pregnant women had been moved to safer locations, according to the state government.
The cyclone disrupted transport and daily life, with at least 22 train services cancelled or suspended between October 27 and November 5. Schools were also ordered closed in several districts of Chhattisgarh amid rainfall and strong winds.
Fire service personnel cleared more than 200 uprooted trees in Kakinada, while the Indian Air Force airlifted 23 tonnes of National Disaster Response Force relief supplies to Vijayawada.
A cargo vessel carrying sulphur ran aground near Antarvedi after reportedly drifting off course following an engine failure. Port and maritime authorities were monitoring the situation.
Telangana offered assistance to Andhra Pradesh for cyclone relief and restoration, including power restoration. Naidu announced financial assistance and relief measures for affected people and said he was likely to visit cyclone-hit areas on Thursday afternoon to assess the damage.