‘Arnab’ intensifies over Bay of Bengal, schools shut

The system is expected to make landfall with sustained wind speeds of 115–125 kmph and gusts of up to 140 kmph

‘Arnab’ intensifies over Bay of Bengal, schools shut: Cyclonic storm ‘Arnab’ intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm over the west-central Bay of Bengal on Monday evening. According to the IMD, the system is expected to strengthen into a very severe cyclonic storm over the next 12 hours.

IMD in its latest bulletin on October 26 said the system at 5.30 PM had moved west-northwestwards at a speed of 17 kmph over the preceding six hours. The system was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal near latitude 15.6°N and longitude 87.3°E. The storm is expected to maintain its west-northwestward movement until the evening of October 27 before turning northwestwards, the bulletin said.

The storm was located about 490 km south-southeast of Gopalpur in Odisha, 490 km east-southeast of Visakhapatnam, 560 km east-southeast of Kakinada, 660 km east of Machilipatnam and 730 km east of Bapatla in Andhra Pradesh. It was also about 730 km northwest of Sri Vijaya Puram in the Andaman Islands.

Arnab is very likely to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by the forenoon of October 28 as a very severe cyclonic storm. The system is expected to make landfall with sustained wind speeds of 115–125 kmph and gusts of up to 140 kmph, according to the IMD. The weather agency has issued a red-message cyclone warning for the Andhra Pradesh and adjoining south Odisha coasts.

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Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has assigned eight ministers to oversee preparedness in vulnerable districts, while 302 rescue teams have been kept ready. Schools, colleges and Anganwadi centres in the five districts will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday.