Visakhapatnam: The very severe cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ over the Westcentral Bay of Bengal off Andhra Pradesh coast has remained practically stationary during the past three hours, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) in a bulletin on Wednesday morning.
Cyclone Arnab lay centered at 0530 hours IST over the same region, about 30 km east of Narsapur, 45 km south-southwest of Yanam, 70 km south-southwest of Kakinada, 90 km east-northeast of Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and 170 km east-northeast of Bapatla, the IMD said.
“It is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Andhra Pradesh & Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to the south of Yanam as a very severe cyclonic storm with the maximum sustained wind speed of 115-125 kmph gusting to 140 kmph during the next two hours,” reads the bulletin.
“Very severe cyclonic storm Arnab is continuing to interact with the land surface, and the wall cloud region of northern sector has further entered into the land. Centre of severe cyclonic storm is very close to the coast line and the landfall process will continue during next 2 hours,” it added.
According to Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) the process of crossing the coast is currently underway.
ASDMA Managing Director Prakhar Jain said the cyclone was centered just 20 km from Narsapur. The cyclone’s centre is over the Yanam coast. It is expected to complete the landfall within the next hour.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu conducted a teleconference with around 32,000 personnel, ranging from District Collectors to field-level staff, to review the impact of Cyclone Arnab and the relief and restoration measures being undertaken across the state.
The Chief Minister also held a special review with senior officials, enquired about crop damage and directed officials to prepare preliminary estimates.
The CM instructed the authorities to brief the Centre on the measures being taken by the state government to address the cyclone’s impact.
Appreciating officials and field-level personnel for working throughout the night to minimise public inconvenience, the Chief Minister urged them to continue their efforts with the same commitment until the cyclone’s impact subsides and normal conditions are restored.
According to the information received so far, no loss of life had been reported. The advance precautions taken by the administration helped prevent loss of life, said an official release.
(IANS)
