12 million people at risk: A powerful cyclone is approaching India
Thousands of people are being evacuated due to Cyclone Arnab approaching the eastern coast of India.
A cyclone named Arnab, assessed as "very severe," is approaching India's eastern coast. Authorities are evacuating tens of thousands of residents from dangerous areas. The cyclone is expected to make landfall on the morning of Wednesday, October 28.
India's meteorological department has issued a warning for the states of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. According to reports, the cyclone is located 260 kilometers southeast of the port city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
According to forecasts, when the cyclone reaches the coast, sustained wind speeds may reach 115–125 kilometers per hour, with gust speeds of up to 140 kilometers per hour.
According to the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority, more than 12 million people live in the cyclone's path. By Monday evening, nearly 50,000 people had been moved to shelters from dangerous areas in the state. A total of about 400,000 people need to be evacuated. Odisha state officials also plan to move 48,000 people to safe locations.
Due to the cyclone, at least 12 train services have been canceled in eastern India, and rail services on 53 routes along the country's southern coast have been suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Officials in neighboring Nepal are also taking precautionary measures. Because Cyclone Arnab may bring heavy rain, snowstorms, and avalanches to the Himalayas from Thursday night through Saturday, tourists have been advised not to travel to high mountain areas.
We recall that in August, nearly 1,500 people died in Nepal as a result of sudden flooding in the Himalayan mountain region.
