Bhubaneswar

Cyclone Arnab's landfall process continued along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday, with Odisha deploying 313 response teams and keeping 2,037 shelters ready as the state braces for heavy rainfall, strong winds and the cyclone's expected movement towards southern districts, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari said.

Pujari held a review meeting with senior officials at the State Emergency Operation Centre in Bhubaneswar to assess preparedness and precautionary measures in view of the cyclone.

"The landfall process started around 1:30 a.m. early in the morning at Kakinada and started moving towards the state of Andhra Pradesh. The last information received shows that the system is stationary now...after entering the coast of Andhra Pradesh, it will start moving towards the north and northwest and reach Malkangiri." Pujari said.

He said 313 response teams had been deployed at different locations across the state, including 60 Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) teams, nine National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and 244 fire and emergency teams.

A total of 2,037 shelters have been kept ready to accommodate people evacuated in view of the cyclone. Pujari added that high-risk pregnant women had also been shifted to safety and all fishing boats had returned to shore.

"The process of landfall is continuing. Once it starts moving towards Odisha, our systems will be ready for the cyclonic storm, and we will take all adequate measures to safeguard the life and property of the people. There are no casualties yet, and no reports of any inconvenience to the people so far...for potential landslides, we have taken preventive measures, and some roads have been blocked in anticipation...achieving zero casualties is our primary motto," he said.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Senior Scientist Sanjeev Dwivedi said the cyclone's centre was recording wind speeds of 120 to 130 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 145 kmph. He said the wind intensity was expected to persist for the next two to three hours before gradually weakening.

Speaking to ANI, Dwivedi said, "The storm centre currently holds wind speeds of 120 to 130 kmph, gusting up to 145 kmph. This wind intensity will persist for the next 2 to 3 hours before gradually weakening. The landfall process is presently underway and will continue over the next two to three hours. The exact landfall point is located between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, just south of Yanam.”

He added that the system was expected to move slowly towards the northwest initially before taking a north-northwestward path. As it moves inland over the next few hours, it is expected to head towards Chhattisgarh and approach Odisha, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Dwivedi warned of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places in southern Odisha districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Malkangiri. Scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall was also expected across these areas.

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“The system is expected to move slowly towards the northwest initially and then take a north-northwestward path. As the cyclone progresses inland over the next few hours, it will move towards Chhattisgarh and approach the Odisha region, bringing heavy rainfall and strong winds. Under its influence, extremely heavy rainfall is expected at isolated places in southern Odisha districts—specifically Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri—with scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall across these areas,” he told ANI.

Earlier, rough sea conditions and high waves were witnessed in the Bay of Bengal off the Puri coast as Cyclone Arnab continued its landfall process along the adjoining Andhra Pradesh coast.