Along the eastern coast of India, a storm named Arnab is gathering strength and turning toward Andhra Pradesh, where it is expected to cross near Yanam on Wednesday. Schools have closed in ten districts and a medical counselling session has been put off, small signs of a community bracing against weather that many remember from past seasons, not least the damage left by Cyclone Hudhud twelve years ago. Neighbouring Odisha and West Bengal are preparing too, with shelters opened, relief funds set aside and rain already arriving in the south of Bengal. Nothing has been lost yet, and the true meas
Cyclone Arnab Nears Andhra Coast as Schools Close in 10 Districts and Odisha, Bengal Prepare
Authorities are evacuating people from vulnerable low-lying areas in Odisha and moving pregnant women to safer locations; no casualties are reported in the source.
Twelve years after Hudhud, Andhra Pradesh braces again
Mark
Schools closed in ten districts before the storm has even landed. Why act so early?
Mimi
Because the forecast is for extremely heavy rain across several districts, and the crossing is set for Wednesday. Closing schools and postponing the medical internship counselling in Vijayawada keeps people off the roads and out of harm's way.
Mark
The report mentions Hudhud. Why bring that up?
Mimi
It was twelve years ago and it devastated Visakhapatnam. Andhra Pradesh is preparing for another major event, so the memory frames the caution.
Luke
Careful, though. The report draws that comparison but doesn't say Arnab will match Hudhud. It only says Arnab is expected to become a very severe cyclonic storm.
Mark
Odisha seems to be doing a lot even though landfall is in Andhra.
Mimi
It has readied 135 permanent and 1,600 temporary shelters and set aside Rs 19 crore. It also plans evacuations from low-lying areas and is moving pregnant women to safer places.
Luke
Worth noting that those are preparations, not confirmed evacuations. The report says evacuations will happen wherever necessary, and gives no figure for how many people have moved.
Mark
And West Bengal?
Mimi
Rain and gusty winds, mainly in southern districts, from Tuesday. The cyclone isn't expected to pass directly over it.
Luke
Also unknown is how far inland the effects reach. The report says they could persist toward Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, but gives no timing or severity. And no casualties are reported so far.
Le Pouls
- Cyclone Arnab is strengthening from a deep depression toward a very severe cyclonic storm, and forecasters expect it to make landfall near Yanam on Wednesday.
- Ten Andhra Pradesh districts have shut their schools, and medical internship counselling in Vijayawada has been postponed.
- Odisha has opened 135 permanent and 1,600 temporary cyclone shelters, released Rs 19 crore for relief, and is moving people and pregnant women out of low-lying areas.
- Rain reaches southern West Bengal from Tuesday, and the system is expected to push inland through Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, so the danger will travel well beyond the coast.
- No casualties have been reported so far, but whether the storm intensifies and how far its rain reaches inland remain the open questions.
Along the eastern coast of India, a storm named Arnab is gathering strength and turning toward Andhra Pradesh, where it is expected to cross near Yanam on Wednesday. Schools have closed in ten districts and a medical counselling session has been put off, small signs of a community bracing against weather that many remember from past seasons, not least the damage left by Cyclone Hudhud twelve years ago. Neighbouring Odisha and West Bengal are preparing too, with shelters opened, relief funds set aside and rain already arriving in the south of Bengal. Nothing has been lost yet, and the true measure of the storm will be written in the days and miles that follow its landfall.
Schools are shut in ten districts of Andhra Pradesh, and in Vijayawada the counselling for medical internships has been postponed. These are the first visible costs of Cyclone Arnab, which is moving toward the state's coast and is due to cross near Yanam on Wednesday.
Arnab grew on Monday from a deep depression into a cyclonic system, and forecasters expect it to strengthen further before it reaches land as a very severe cyclonic storm. Extremely heavy rain is forecast across several districts, and officials have moved to protect residents, infrastructure and essential services.
For Andhra Pradesh the approach carries memory. Twelve years have passed since Cyclone Hudhud devastated Visakhapatnam, and the state is preparing again. The report does not say where Arnab will hit hardest.
Odisha, to the north, is readying for heavy rain, strong winds and possible flash floods. It has prepared 135 permanent and 1,600 temporary shelters, set aside Rs 19 crore for relief, and plans evacuations from low-lying areas, with special arrangements to move pregnant women to safety.
In West Bengal, rain and gusty winds are expected from Tuesday, mainly in the southern districts. The cyclone will not pass directly over the state, so the concern there is its secondary effects.
The danger may outlast the landfall. The system is expected to move inland through Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. No casualties have been reported so far. What remains to be seen is whether Arnab intensifies as forecast and how far inland its rain reaches.
Schools are shut in ten districts of Andhra Pradesh, and in Vijayawada the counselling sessions for medical internships have been postponed. Both closures are the first visible costs of Cyclone Arnab, a storm that is moving toward the state's coast and is due to cross it near Yanam on Wednesday.
Arnab gathered strength on Monday, moving up from a deep depression to a cyclonic system. Forecasters expect it to intensify further and reach the coast as a very severe cyclonic storm. Extremely heavy rainfall is forecast across several districts, and authorities have moved to limit the risk to residents, infrastructure and essential services.
The approach carries a particular weight in Andhra Pradesh. It has been twelve years since Cyclone Hudhud devastated Visakhapatnam, and the state is now preparing for another major weather event. The source report does not say where Arnab is expected to hit hardest, only that the crossing is forecast near Yanam.
Neighbouring Odisha is getting ready for heavy rain, strong winds and the possibility of flash floods. The state has made 135 permanent and 1,600 temporary cyclone shelters ready and has allocated Rs 19 crore for relief work. Where necessary, it plans to evacuate people from vulnerable low-lying areas. Special arrangements are being made to move pregnant women to safer locations.
In West Bengal, meteorological officials have warned of rain and gusty winds, particularly in the southern districts, starting Tuesday. The cyclone is not expected to pass directly over the state, so the warnings concern secondary effects rather than a direct strike.
Those effects may not end at landfall. After crossing the coast, the system is expected to move inland toward Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, which means the weather could persist well beyond the coastal districts. Authorities in the affected states say they are coordinating their preparedness and response measures.
The source reports no casualties so far. What can be watched next is whether Arnab does intensify into a very severe cyclonic storm, where it crosses near Yanam on Wednesday, and how far inland the rain follows.
Citations marquantes
Meteorological officials warned of rain and gusty winds, particularly in southern districts, from Tuesday onwards.— West Bengal meteorological officials
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Times of India ↗
Health & Medicine