Cyclone Arnab threatens Andhra’s municipal polls; SEC hopes to hold them on schedule

BHUBANESWAR: Two eastern Indian states are preparing to evacuate thousands of people as Cyclone Arnab, expected to make landfall on Wednesday, marches toward their coasts. Arnab, which formed over the Bay of Bengal and intensified into a cyclonic storm, is forecast to hit Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday morning, with winds of up to 140 kph (87 mph), according to India's weather office.

The cyclone is anticipated to intensify further, bringing heavy to extremely heavy rainfall to Andhra Pradesh's northern and central coastal districts, and southern regions of neighboring Odisha. Andhra Pradesh has sought to return boats to shore and ordered a swift restoration of power in the event of disruptions. A senior disaster management official from Andhra Pradesh revealed that the state government has identified 570,000 individuals as vulnerable and that evacuations will commence on Monday evening.

Meanwhile, Odisha's government has closed schools and colleges in five districts for Tuesday and Wednesday, and is moving residents of low-lying areas to cyclone shelters. The Bay of Bengal, a major region for tropical cyclones, is the backdrop for this impending disaster.