Cyclone Arnab weakens, but Andhra, Odisha still under rain alert; Amit Shah assures Centre's aid to affected states

Cyclone Arnab lost strength after making landfall in Andhra Pradesh early Wednesday. It became a deep depression over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and nearby parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. The IMD expected it to weaken into a depression by Thursday morning and a well-marked low-pressure area by evening. This matters because weaker systems can still bring dangerous rain and disruption.

At 11.30 pm Wednesday, the system was about 60 kilometres south of Malkangiri in Odisha and 90 kilometres west-southwest of Paderu in Andhra Pradesh. Nine Odisha districts had orange alerts, including Sambalpur, Ganjam and Kandhamal. Five Chhattisgarh districts also had orange alerts. Every Andhra Pradesh district remained under a yellow alert.

The storm’s weakening did not immediately end the threat. Odisha reported landslides, flooded roads and uprooted trees. Andhra Pradesh faced crop losses and infrastructure damage. Authorities continued rescue and relief work, while residents in alert areas needed to follow official weather and safety instructions.

A cyclone is the strongest category among these systems, with organised circulation and very high winds. A deep depression is weaker, but still more powerful than a depression. A depression has a defined low-pressure circulation and can bring heavy rain, even when winds are lower. A well-marked low-pressure area is a clearly identified pressure disturbance, generally weaker and less organised than a depression.

The article describes Arnab’s weakening sequence. It made landfall in Andhra Pradesh as a cyclone, weakened into a deep depression late Wednesday, and was expected to become a depression by Thursday morning. The IMD then expected a well-marked low-pressure area by Thursday evening. These categories mainly reflect the system’s intensity and organisation.

The change in label does not mean immediate safety. Rain can continue after wind strength falls, especially when moisture remains concentrated around the system. That is why Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh still had weather alerts after Arnab weakened.

Andhra Pradesh was the storm’s worst-hit state after Arnab made landfall early Wednesday. Five people died: three in Visakhapatnam district, one in Anakapalli and one in Bhimavaram. Their deaths were linked to falling electric poles and trees during the rain. Chief Minister Naidu announced ₹5 lakh in ex gratia for each bereaved family.

The infrastructure damage was extensive. Preliminary estimates cited by Naidu put the number of uprooted electricity poles at around 15,000 across the state. Power networks are vital for homes, hospitals, communications and water services, so such damage can slow recovery and make other hazards harder to manage.

The storm also affected an estimated 3.45 lakh farmers. Standing crops were inundated or damaged across 2,24,489 hectares in 14 districts. These figures show that the impact extended beyond immediate casualties. Farm losses can affect household income, local markets and food-related livelihoods well after the rain ends.

Weakening describes a storm’s wind circulation, not an instant disappearance of its rainmaking ability. A tropical system can retain deep clouds and abundant moisture after crossing the coast. When those clouds release rain over land, the result can remain dangerous even as the system is downgraded from a cyclone to a depression.

Arnab made landfall in Andhra Pradesh and later weakened into a deep depression. The article reports heavy rain, flooded roads, uprooted trees and landslides in Odisha. In Andhra Pradesh, standing crops were inundated or damaged across 2,24,489 hectares. Low-lying areas and poor drainage can make this rainfall more damaging, while saturated slopes can fail and cause landslides.

The continuing alerts reflect this delayed risk. Odisha and parts of Chhattisgarh had orange alerts, while all Andhra Pradesh districts had yellow alerts. Authorities therefore continued rescue, relief and damage assessment even after Arnab’s winds weakened. Flooding and agricultural losses may persist until water drains and access is restored.

Weather alerts turn a forecast into a practical warning. In the article, yellow means light to moderate rainfall, while orange means “be prepared” for moderate to heavy rainfall. The levels help people, emergency services and local administrations judge how urgently to prepare, protect property and limit exposure to hazardous conditions.

On Thursday, nine Odisha districts had orange alerts, including Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Ganjam. Gariaband, Dhamtari, Kanker, Narayanpur and Kondagaon in Chhattisgarh also had orange alerts. The rest of Chhattisgarh and all Andhra Pradesh districts had yellow alerts. These classifications reflected different expected rainfall intensity, not a guarantee that every location would experience identical conditions.

In yellow-alert areas, people should monitor updates, avoid unnecessary travel during intense rain and prepare for local waterlogging. Orange-alert areas require greater caution, including readiness for flooding, landslides, power cuts and disrupted roads. Authorities should position rescue teams, clear drainage where possible, protect essential services and communicate changing conditions.

The IMD provides the technical picture: it tracks the system, identifies its position and movement, classifies its strength and issues rainfall alerts. State governments use that information to protect residents, coordinate departments, announce assistance and assess local damage. Their decisions connect warnings with action on the ground.

After Arnab, Amit Shah said NDRF and SDRF teams had been deployed. These disaster-response forces support rescue and relief operations in affected areas. Andhra Pradesh’s government reported deaths, crop losses and damaged infrastructure, while Odisha’s government reported landslides, flooded roads and uprooted trees. Such state-level information helps direct emergency work.

Inter-ministerial central teams have a different role. Shah said they would visit the affected states to assess the storm’s impact and determine whether further assistance was needed. The Union government can then consider additional support. Together, forecasting, state coordination, field rescue and central assessment create a chain from warning to recovery.

Tropical cyclones generally form over warm tropical seas, where evaporation supplies moist air. As that air rises and condenses, it releases heat, helping pressure fall and strengthening the circulation. Earth’s rotation helps the system spin. Formation requires enough ocean warmth, moisture and atmospheric organisation; this explanation uses established meteorological knowledge beyond the article.

Once a cyclone moves over land, it is cut off from the warm water that supplies continuing moisture and heat. Land also creates greater friction and uneven terrain, which disrupts the storm’s circulation. As a result, wind speeds usually fall and the system is reclassified as a deep depression or low-pressure area. Arnab followed this weakening pattern after landfall in Andhra Pradesh.

Weakening does not end all hazards. The storm may still contain moisture and produce heavy rain inland. Arnab’s aftermath included landslides and flooded roads in Odisha, plus extensive crop damage in Andhra Pradesh. Forecast agencies therefore continue monitoring and issuing alerts while the system decays.