Cyclone Arnab Live Updates: 7 killed in Andhra Pradesh, heavy rainfall likely for next 3 days

Cyclone Arnab crossed the coast between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam in Puducherry during a six-hour period, from 2 am to 8 am on October 29. Landfall means the storm’s center moved from the sea onto land. This mattered because coastal communities faced powerful winds, heavy rain, flooding, and dangerous debris.

Hundreds of villages in more than 10 Andhra Pradesh districts were affected. Eluru, West Godavari, and Vizianagaram were among the areas bearing the storm’s brunt. Low-lying locations recorded 200 mm of rain. More than 1,80,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha before the cyclone arrived.

The cyclone also disrupted airports in Andhra Pradesh and caused deaths from falling trees, electrocution, wall collapse, and other incidents. Odisha reported no deaths, while West Bengal faced a forecast of heavy rain through October 31. Several Chhattisgarh districts closed schools.

A tropical cyclone is a large, rotating weather system that develops over warm tropical or subtropical ocean water. It contains strong winds, heavy rain, and a low-pressure center. These storms can intensify over water and threaten coastal communities with flooding, wind damage, and dangerous waves.

When a cyclone makes landfall, its center crosses the coastline and moves over land. Cyclone Arnab made landfall between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam from 2 am to 8 am on October 29. It weakened from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm after reaching land near Yanam.

Landfall does not end the danger immediately. Arnab was expected to weaken further into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression by evening. Even while weakening, it brought heavy rainfall, affected hundreds of villages, suspended airport operations, and contributed to deaths in Andhra Pradesh.

The cyclone’s scale was visible in both the emergency response and its human toll. More than 1,80,000 people were evacuated across Andhra Pradesh and Odisha before Arnab arrived. Evacuations move people away from exposed homes and low-lying areas, reducing the number of people facing flooding, falling debris, and electrical hazards.

Rainfall reached 200 mm in low-lying areas of Andhra Pradesh. Hundreds of villages across more than 10 districts were affected, including Eluru, West Godavari, and Vizianagaram. Such intense rain can overwhelm drainage, flood roads, and isolate communities, especially when people cannot safely travel.

Seven people were killed in Andhra Pradesh. Officials linked the deaths to falling trees, electrocution, wall collapse, and other cyclone-related incidents. Odisha’s chief minister said the state achieved its “zero casualty” objective, showing how different preparations produced different reported outcomes across the affected states.

Tropical cyclones draw much of their energy from warm ocean water. After moving over land, they lose that supply and face rougher surfaces, which slow and disrupt their circulation. Cyclone Arnab therefore weakened from a very severe cyclonic storm to a severe cyclonic storm after making landfall near Yanam.

Weakening winds do not mean the storm becomes harmless. Arnab still carried large amounts of moisture from the ocean. As that moist air rose and condensed over land, it produced heavy rainfall. Low-lying Andhra Pradesh areas recorded 200 mm, and hundreds of villages across more than 10 districts were affected.

The cyclone was expected to weaken into a cyclonic storm and then a deep depression by evening. However, rain can continue during this transition. Flooded roads, swollen waterways, damaged walls, and disrupted services can threaten communities even after the strongest winds have passed.

Odisha’s “zero casualty” objective focused on preventing deaths before Cyclone Arnab arrived. Evacuations and advance preparations moved residents away from dangerous locations and reduced their exposure to wind, flooding, collapsing structures, and other hazards. Early action matters because people are safer before roads become flooded or emergency services are disrupted.

More than 1,80,000 people were evacuated in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead of the cyclone. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said preparations and evacuations helped the state achieve its zero-casualty objective. The article does not list every measure Odisha used, so the confirmed details are the evacuations and broader preparations.

The result contrasted with Andhra Pradesh, where seven people died from falling trees, electrocution, wall collapse, and other incidents. Odisha still faced disruption, including a request to reschedule an examination at Jeypore, but the reported death toll there was zero.

Communities faced immediate physical danger and disruption. Hundreds of villages in more than 10 Andhra Pradesh districts were hit, while falling trees, wall collapses, and other incidents contributed to seven deaths. Electrocution was also among the reported causes, showing why damaged electrical lines and standing water create serious safety risks.

Transport was interrupted as operations at three Andhra Pradesh airports were suspended. Bhubaneswar airport remained largely normal, but a nine-seater service on the Bhubaneswar-Jeypore-Visakhapatnam route was cancelled. Heavy rain and cyclone conditions can make roads, airports, and flight routes unsafe or unreliable.

Education was also affected. Schools stayed closed in several Chhattisgarh districts, including Sukma, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada, and Rajnandgaon. In Odisha, Koraput MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka asked for the Odisha Civil Services Mains examination at Jeypore to be rescheduled because of cyclone-related disruptions.

Tropical cyclones generally begin over warm ocean water. Heat causes moist air to rise, lowering surface pressure. More air then flows inward, and Earth’s rotation helps organize the system into a rotating storm. If the ocean remains warm and conditions stay favorable, the cyclone can strengthen before reaching land.

Andhra Pradesh’s coast is especially exposed when a storm crosses there. Cyclone Arnab made landfall between Andhra Pradesh and Yanam, then affected hundreds of villages across more than 10 districts. Eluru, West Godavari, and Vizianagaram were among the areas hit, while low-lying locations recorded 200 mm of rain.

Coastal and low-lying communities face several linked hazards at once: heavy rainfall, flooding, strong winds, falling trees, wall collapse, and electrical danger. Arnab led to seven deaths in Andhra Pradesh and suspended operations at three airports. Evacuations before landfall helped reduce risks, and officials sought further damage assessment.