Odisha steps up cyclone preparedness as Arnab intensifies; heavy rain warning for six districts

Bhubaneswar, India - As Cyclone Arnab approaches the eastern coast of India, thousands of residents are being evacuated in preparation for the severe weather event that is expected to hit the region on Wednesday. Authorities have canceled several train services, with at least 12 trains being suspended in the eastern region, and 53 routes along the southern coast being halted for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The cyclone, which has intensified since Monday, is anticipated to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall to parts of Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring Odisha states. Nearly 50,000 people have been moved to shelters, but authorities estimate that 400,000 individuals require evacuation. In neighbouring Nepal, the government has advised tourists to avoid high altitude areas due to potential torrential downpours, snowstorms, and avalanches in the Himalayan region from Thursday night through Saturday.

This comes at a time when Nepal is still recovering from a deadly flash flood in August that claimed around 1,500 lives. The Bay of Bengal, where Cyclone Arnab formed, is one of the world's major regions for tropical cyclones, making India's eastern coast particularly vulnerable to such disasters.