Cyclone Arnab's landfall expected before dawn as 89,000 evacuate

 The India Meteorological Department (IMD) now expects Cyclone Arnab to cross the Andhra Pradesh–Yanam coast between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, near Yanam, during the early hours of Wednesday, October 28. Its 11:48 p.m. IST bulletin placed the very severe storm about 70 km southeast of Kakinada at 8:30 p.m., moving west-northwest at 17 km/h. The forecast calls for sustained winds of 125–135 km/h, with gusts up to 150 km/h; Arnab’s outer spiral bands had already reached land. That shortened timeline puts the focus on evacuations and coastal flooding. Andhra Pradesh officials told the Associated Press that at least 89,000 people had been moved from low-lying and flood-prone areas by Tuesday. The state has opened more than 2,000 cyclone shelters, secured over 30,000 fishing boats and deployed medical teams. In neighboring Odisha, officials planned to evacuate about 48,000 people from areas likely to be affected. These are separate state preparations, not a single combined evacuation count. The IMD has warned that a storm surge could raise water levels 1–2 metres above the astronomical tide and inundate low-lying areas, with the highest peak expected near Kakinada and Yanam. This is a forecast, not a report that flooding of that height has already occurred. Heavy to very heavy rain and damaging winds are also expected along the coast. The National Crisis Management Committee said disaster-response teams, armed forces and the Coast Guard were on standby. Authorities have restricted fishing, cancelled some train services and closed schools in affected districts. More than 12 million people live along the cyclone’s projected path, according to Andhra Pradesh’s disaster-management authority as cited by AP; that figure describes the broader corridor, not the number expected to evacuate. The next key question is whether Arnab holds to the IMD’s 2–4 a.m. landfall window and where exactly it crosses. The storm’s eventual damage and any casualty toll are not yet established in the latest reports. Residents should follow local evacuation orders and official IMD updates, and stay away from beaches and floodwater. ~world