🔴 Breaking: Cyclone Arnab Nears Andhra Coast; Red Alert i...

Cyclone Arnab Nears Andhra Coast; Red Alert in Odisha, Evacuations Underway

Cyclone Arnab has intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal and is heading northwestwards towards the Andhra Pradesh coast, with landfall expected on 28th October between Yanam and Visakhapatnam. Wind speeds are forecast to reach between 120 and 150 kilometres per hour, prompting the India Meteorological Department to issue a red alert for coastal districts including Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Yanam, Visakhapatnam, and Srikakulam, as well as parts of Odisha.

The Andhra Pradesh government has declared holidays for schools and colleges across vulnerable districts and released 27 crore rupees for emergency response. Authorities are undertaking large-scale evacuations of low-lying and flood-prone areas, prioritising elderly residents and pregnant women.

Rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force have been deployed, while the Armed Forces, Navy, and Coast Guard remain on standby. Precautionary flood-prevention measures are also underway in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to ensure zero casualties.