News in Frames: Many twists in the monsoon’s tale

The State faced sharply opposing weather conditions in one season. During June and July, authorities declared drought in 388 of 688 mandals across 28 districts. By late October, extremely heavy rainfall had battered many of those areas. This rapid shift mattered because farms, roads, power systems, and coastal livelihoods had to endure both water scarcity and sudden disaster.

Between October 28 and November 3, Cyclones Arnab and Murasu struck in succession. Arnab affected the Godavari districts and the north coast, while Murasu brought strong winds and rain farther along the coast. Rainfall reached about 260 millimetres in Visakhapatnam, Eluru, and East Godavari. Winds uprooted trees, flattened crops, damaged roads, and collapsed electricity poles.

The contrast reflects uneven weather across time and place. Rainfall deficits created drought earlier, while later extreme rain and cyclones produced flooding and destruction. Rayalaseema was an exception to the heaviest late-season impact. Farmers and fishermen now face recovery costs, with coconut growers expecting losses to take at least two years to recover.

A tropical cyclone is a powerful rotating storm that develops around a low-pressure centre over warm tropical ocean water. Heat and moisture from the sea help rising air build thunderstorms. The Earth’s rotation makes the system spin. If the storm remains supplied with warm water, it can strengthen and produce destructive winds, heavy rain, and high waves.

India’s meteorological classification uses maximum sustained wind speed. A Severe Cyclonic Storm has winds of 89–117 kmph. A Very Severe Cyclonic Storm has winds of 118–165 kmph. These categories describe intensity, not simply the amount of rain or the total damage. A cyclone’s effects also depend on its track, size, landfall location, and the vulnerability of communities.

In this account, Arnab was identified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm and reached 140 kmph. Murasu was classified as a Severe Cyclonic Storm and reached 110 kmph. Those classifications explain their strength, while the reported deaths, crop losses, and infrastructure damage show their human impact.

The two storms were powerful and arrived unusually close together. Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab produced winds up to 140 kmph. Severe Cyclonic Storm Murasu reached 110 kmph. Their combined impact was estimated at approximately ₹6,500 crore, making the sequence a major disaster for Andhra Pradesh’s coastal districts.

At least 17 people died. Hundreds of electricity poles were uprooted, roads were damaged, and thousands of coconut trees fell. Paddy, cotton, and chilli crops were flattened in several districts, including both Godavari districts, Konaseema, Bapatla, Guntur, and Palnadu. Visakhapatnam, Eluru, and East Godavari recorded extremely heavy rainfall of around 260 millimetres.

Arnab battered the Godavari region and the north coast, including Visakhapatnam. Murasu followed days later and damaged power lines and structures in places such as Prakasam district. The combined wind, rain, waves, and flooding explain why losses extended across farms, roads, electricity networks, fishing equipment, and homes.

Coastal districts face direct exposure to strong winds, intense rain, high waves, and storm-driven seawater. Low-lying roads and villages can flood or be washed away. Farmland near the coast can be damaged just before harvest. Coconut trees, paddy, cotton, and chilli are especially vulnerable when powerful winds flatten or uproot them.

Fishermen face danger because boats, engines, and nets are stored or used near the shore. In Odalarevu, a family salvaged fishing nets after Arnab, while some boats needed repairs. Electricity networks are exposed because poles and overhead lines can be blown down. Roads fail when heavy rain, waves, and floodwater erode their surfaces or foundations. Damage to one system can delay repairs to others.

The article records collapsed poles across Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district and a road washed away at Uppada. More than 10,000 new poles were being installed there. These examples show why coastal recovery requires coordinated work across transport, power, agriculture, and fishing communities.

Disaster-response teams reduce harm by clearing damaged routes, repairing utilities, and helping communities reach safer places. Their first priorities are usually life safety, access, and essential services. Moving boats and equipment away from exposed shores can limit losses before landfall. Afterward, restoring roads and electricity helps people receive aid, communicate, and resume daily work.

The article shows these actions in practice. Fishermen near Kothapatnam moved boats to safer spots and carried engines and equipment under cover before Murasu. After Arnab, response personnel worked on a road washed away by waves at Uppada. Electricity workers from Bengaluru repaired damaged lines near Ongole, while more than 10,000 replacement poles were being installed across Konaseema.

Local families also contributed directly to recovery. One family salvaged fishing nets in Odalarevu, and damaged boats had to be repaired. These efforts cannot erase crop and livelihood losses, but they shorten disruption. Continued support matters because coconut growers expect recovery to take at least two years.

Andhra Pradesh has experienced comparable periods when severe cyclones struck its coast in close succession. The article identifies 2013 as the most recent earlier example, when Cyclones Helen and Lehar battered the Andhra Pradesh coast. It also records similar events in 1987 and 1976. These dates provide historical context for the latest disaster.

The comparison matters because the 2026 sequence was not presented as an isolated event. Arnab and Murasu arrived between October 28 and November 3, damaging coastal districts, crops, roads, electricity systems, boats, and fishing equipment. The earlier examples show that communities have faced repeated cyclone threats across several decades.

The history does not by itself explain whether climate change caused the latest storms; the article says experts are debating that question. It does show why preparedness and recovery planning remain important. Farmers, fishermen, and public services must repeatedly cope with severe weather and rebuild after major losses.

The monsoon is a seasonal wind and rainfall system caused mainly by differences in heating between land and ocean. Moist air moves toward heated land and can produce widespread rain. Rainfall is not evenly distributed, however. Some places or periods may receive too little, creating drought, while others receive intense downpours.

Tropical cyclones form over warm tropical seas when moist air rises around a low-pressure centre. Thunderstorms release heat, helping the storm strengthen, while Earth’s rotation gives the system its spin. When such a storm approaches land, it can bring violent winds, very heavy rain, and high waves. In Andhra Pradesh, the later cyclones intensified an already sharply changing weather year.

The State declared drought in 388 mandals during June and July. By late October, many of those mandals had experienced extremely heavy rain, although Rayalaseema was largely excepted. Arnab and Murasu then caused major coastal damage. This contrast shows how one State can face water shortage and destructive excess in different periods or regions.