VISAKHAPATNAM: Rainfall and gusty winds began affecting parts of north coastal Andhra Pradesh early on Tuesday as very severe cyclonic storm Arnab continued moving towards the coast over the west-central Bay of Bengal. The system is expected to intensify through the day, with heavy rainfall forecast in the north coastal districts.
Strong winds and rain began affecting coastal districts, including Srikakulam, Palasa, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam, early on Tuesday. Rainfall also started picking up in the Kakinada-Pithapuram belt.
In its bulletin issued at 2.30 am on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said Arnab had moved west-northwestwards at 25 kmph during the preceding six hours.
The storm was centred over the west-central Bay of Bengal, around 300 km southeast of Visakhapatnam and 360 km east-southeast of Kakinada.
The IMD has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Eluru, East Godavari, West Godavari, Konaseema and Kakinada districts. An orange alert has been issued for heavy to very heavy rainfall in Srikakulam, Parvathipuram Manyam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Bapatla, Guntur, Krishna and NTR districts. Palnadu, Prakasam and Nellore districts are under a yellow alert for moderate to heavy rainfall.
Arnab is likely to continue moving west-northwestwards until Tuesday evening before turning northwestwards. The system is expected to cross the Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coasts between Bapatla and Visakhapatnam, close to Yanam, by Wednesday forenoon as a very severe cyclonic storm. It is likely to bring maximum sustained wind speeds of 115-125 kmph, with gusts reaching 140 kmph.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) managing director Prakhar Jain said the authority was facilitating a faster response to cyclone-related issues through its 'Mana Mitra' WhatsApp service. People can report problems and seek assistance through the number 9552300009.
The authority urged residents in vulnerable areas to follow official advisories and exercise caution as the system approaches the coast.